Aceh raises GAM flags; six hurt<\/p>\n
SIGLI, Aceh (JP): Thousands of people turned up at flag
\nhoisting ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Gerakan Aceh
\nMerdeka or Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in the province on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Police and the military maintained a low-key presence in towns
\nwhere ceremonies were held, including here, the capital of Pidie
\nregency, and in Greater Aceh, North Aceh and West Aceh regencies.<\/p>\n
Six people, however, received gun shot wounds when soldiers
\nopened fire to disperse GAM supporters from conducting motorcade
\nprocessions in Pidie and in North Aceh.<\/p>\n
Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Bahrumsyah Kasman said that other
\nthan these two minor incidents, the day passed off peacefully,
\ndefying earlier fears of massive unrest.<\/p>\n
\"I thank the people of Aceh, every one, the ulemas, the
\nstudents and even the GAM people, for showing restraint,\"
\nBahrumsyah said in an interview with state-owned TVRI.<\/p>\n
Not all Acehnese went out to show their support for the
\nmovement. Thousands in Banda Aceh, capital of the province,
\nthronged the mosques to say prayers for peace in the province.<\/p>\n
The military had earlier warned the people against raising
\nGAM's flag -- a white crescent and star on a red background, with
\nwhite and black stripes at the top and bottom -- saying that such
\nan act amounted to a treason.<\/p>\n
Later they toned down their warning, saying that they would
\nonly take action against anyone trying to lower the red and white
\nnational flag.<\/p>\n
The military kept its distance from the ceremonies which were
\nheld in public places.<\/p>\n
Saturday marked the 23rd anniversary of GAM, which has waged
\nlow-level guerrilla warfare against the central government in its
\nfight for an independent state. This is the first time that the
\nunderground movement had celebrated its anniversary in the open,
\nwith a display of its armed soldiers and public support.<\/p>\n
In North Aceh regency, thousands of people thronged to Bate
\nIliek for the two-hour ceremony led by Abdullah Syafiie, the
\nself-proclaimed field commander of the movement. Dozens of
\nIndonesian and foreign journalists covered the event.<\/p>\n
Still without a national anthem, the flag hoisting ceremony
\nwas accompanied instead by adzan, the Muslim call to prayer.<\/p>\n
Many of the women could not hold back their emotion. \"I can't
\nbelieve this. Aceh is really free,\" one of them said in tears.<\/p>\n
In a speech read at the ceremony, Hasan M. Tiro, the 75-year
\nold founder and president of the movement who is living in exile
\nin Sweden, ruled out negotiating with \"Java-Indonesian
\nimperialists\".<\/p>\n
\"There's no need for a dialog with a bunch of liars,\" he said,
\nadding that Aceh is already a sovereign nation.<\/p>\n
Abdullah told reporters later that GAM could not trust
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid. \"He vowed to pull out the military.
\nBut there are still many soldiers in Aceh now. He is liar.\"<\/p>\n
The GAM forces taking part in the ceremony included 500
\nmembers of the special command, 102 police officers, 275
\nprivates, 70 intelligence officers, 95 members of the elite force
\nKarades and a 135-strong force of women soldiers. All, without
\nexception, carried arms and wore battle fatigues.<\/p>\n
\"These are all trained forces,\" Darwis Jeunib, the commander
\nof the Bate Iliek command, said.<\/p>\n
In Sigli, GAM supporters organized a motorcade procession of
\ncars, open trucks and motorcycles, in defiance of military
\nwarnings against such a public display.<\/p>\n
Clashes were unavoidable when the procession, which began from
\nthe nearby town of Bureunuen, came across a military road block
\nnear the Sigli Military Command headquarters.<\/p>\n
The soldiers ordered the procession to turn back and demanded
\nthat all GAM flags be handed over, according to witnesses.
\nSuddenly, shots were heard, some of which were directed at GAM
\nsupporters. Some of them were also seen clashing with the
\nmilitary.<\/p>\n
Police later said two people received gun shot wounds and two
\nothers were injured during the stampede, but local human rights
\nactivists said three sustained gun shot wounds, and dozens were
\ninjured after being beaten and kicked.<\/p>\n
They were identified as Lukman Wahab and Usman Basyah of
\nMutiara district and Bustami of Beuah Delima.<\/p>\n
Those injured were treated at Sigli general hospital.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. Iskandar, chief of the Pidie Military District, told
\nreporters his men fired only after someone from the crowd had
\nopened fire at the military first.<\/p>\n
Iskandar also lamented the mobilization of the people by GAM,
\nand the use of GAM flags during the rally.<\/p>\n
GAM supporters disputed the military's version of events,
\nsaying they did not hear any shots coming from their side. \"We
\nagreed to turn back as requested, and when we did, they opened
\nfire,\" said Abdul Muthaleb, one of the participants at the rally.
\nThe Achenese had been bracing themselves for the GAM anniversary
\nfor the past week. Thousands, mostly migrants, left the province
\naltogether, amidst rumors of a violent clash between GAM and the
\nmilitary.<\/p>\n
Most large towns were crippled on Saturday morning with people
\neither staying indoors, or thronging the open fields to GAM
\nceremonies or to mosques for peace prayers. Life slowly returned
\nto normal by late afternoon.<\/p>\n
The military and police guarded the main roads. The military
\nordered the lowering of GAM flags that lined the highway between
\nBanda Aceh and the industrial town of Lhokseumawe.<\/p>\n
None of the residents, however, admitted to having put up the
\nflags, saying that they were raised during the evening while they
\nwere asleep.<\/p>\n
Production at PT Arun NGL Co.'s liquefied natural gas (LNG)
\nplant and gas fields in Lhokseumawe ran as usual.<\/p>\n
\"An LNG tanker left for Japan in the morning without any
\ninterruption,\" Siddick Nitikusuma, head of security at
\nPertamina's foreign contractor management body, said by phone
\nfrom Medan.<\/p>\n
The nearby gas fields operated by Mobil Oil supplying the LNG
\nplant also ran as usual, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Every thing is under control ... and our buyers need not
\nworry about future LNG supply,\" he said.<\/p>\n
About 2,500 workers had been evacuated from the LNG and the
\nArun gas plants to Medan, but major activities were continuing.<\/p>\n
Reports from Medan, meanwhile, said that all buses headed
\ntowards Aceh were suspended on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Jamaludin, a driver of an Artha intercity bus, said his boss
\ninstructed all drivers to halt operations on Friday and Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"We will resume operations if everything is okay tomorrow,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
At least six companies operate the Aceh route from Medan.<\/p>\n
Syahrul, who is in charge of ticket sales for Anugrah, Kurnia,
\nand Pusaka buses, said business was sluggish on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"My boss did not want us to stop operating, but no one was
\ntraveling,\" he said. (51\/39\/jsk)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-raises-gam-flags-six-hurt-1447893297",
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