Aceh rights abuse trial rescheduled for April 17<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): After three delays, the joint military-
\ncivilian tribunal for alleged human rights violations in Aceh is
\nslated to open on April 17 in Banda Aceh, Minister of Human
\nRights Affairs Hasballah M. Saad said on Friday.<\/p>\n
A total of 24 suspects -- 23 are soldiers of the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) -- will stand trial before a panel of six judges
\non charges of killing 65 people in West Aceh in July last year,
\nHasballah said.<\/p>\n
\"My office and the Aceh provincial court have decided that the
\ntrial will start on April 17 as the dossiers have all been
\ncompleted. We will proceed without Sudjono,\" he said, referring
\nto Lt. Col. Sudjono, a key witness and suspect missing since
\nNovember.<\/p>\n
The mass killing took place in the remote hamlet of Beutong in
\nWest Aceh on July 23 when a group of troops opened fire at
\nIslamic boarding school teacher Tengku Bantaqiah and dozens of
\nhis students.<\/p>\n
The military, however, maintain that the deaths resulted from
\ngunfights between soldiers and rebels.<\/p>\n
The government-sanctioned inquiry team listed five cases last
\nyear of human rights abuse in Aceh that need addressing,
\nincluding the Bantaqiah massacre which formed the basis for
\ninvestigations leading to the joint military-civilian court.<\/p>\n
Hasballah also said that a total of 3,000 Acehnese children
\nwho have fallen victim to the 10-year military operation will
\nreceive scholarships from the government this year. Previously
\n4,000 students received a similar allowance, he said.<\/p>\n
At least 300 people, including civilians and security
\npersonnel, have been killed in Aceh in the first three months of
\nthis year according to Hasballah.<\/p>\n
\"But not all of the killings can be categorized as human
\nrights violations as rebels of Free Aceh Movement (GAM),
\nmilitary\/police and unidentified armed gangs and civilians are
\ninvolved in this complicated conflict,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the body of a senior medical and law student at
\nSyiah Kuala University, 23-year-old Cut Fatin Hamama was laid to
\nrest in her home village at Baleh of Samalanga district in Bireun
\non Friday.<\/p>\n
Cut Fatin was shot in the head in an incident on the Banda
\nAceh - Medan road in Indrapuri district, Aceh Besar.<\/p>\n
She was sitting next to the driver of a public minibus on the
\nway to Banda Aceh when without warning a bullet struck her head.<\/p>\n
Fatin was rushed to Zainul Abidin hospital in Banda Aceh, but
\ndied due to massive bleeding.<\/p>\n
Dayan Dawood, rector of Syiah Kuala University promised to
\nestablish a team to investigate Cut Fatin's death and reminded
\nstudents not to take law into their own hands.<\/p>\n
Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Bachrumsyah said on Friday the
\nlocal police would conduct its own investigation.<\/p>\n
According to Aceh Besar Police Chief Lt. Col. Sayed Husaini,
\nabout 1.5 hours earlier a group of armed men ambushed a truck
\nloaded with police mobile brigade (Brimob) personnel in Keumireue
\narea in Indrapuri, near the site where Cut Fatin was shot.<\/p>\n
Three soldiers, identified as Pvt. Fatur, Pvt. Sabaruddin and
\nPvt. Joko were wounded in the ambush, Sayed said.<\/p>\n
Sayed denied reports that any of his squad was involved in the
\nfatal shooting of Cut Fatin.<\/p>\n
In Pinto Weu, North Aceh, two shop-houses were burned and nine
\ncivilians were arrested on Thursday night in a massive sweeping
\noperation after three soldiers and a security guard were killed
\non Tuesday in a firefight near Malikussaleh airfield.<\/p>\n
Tension gripped Banda Aceh as well as neighboring Aceh Besar
\nregency on Friday following outbreaks of violence in the two
\nrelatively calm towns ahead of the week-long Aceh People's
\nCongress scheduled to begin on April 22. (44\/50\/edt)<\/p>",
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