Aceh shooting toll reaches 28<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The death toll from the military shootings in
\nNorth Aceh on Monday rose to 28, while at least 100 others were
\nseriously injured. Television stations ran on Tuesday gruesome
\nfootage of thousands of Lhokseumawe residents fleeing in panic
\nand bloodied victims keeling over.<\/p>\n
A local Indonesian Red Cross team continued on Tuesday its
\nsearch for more victims, as non-governmental organizations
\nestimated as many as 65 people were killed when Army personnel
\nopened fire on protesters. The youngest victim is a six-year-old
\nboy, Saddam Husen, while the oldest victim is 60-year-old
\nMahmuddin.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) insisted the casualty figure was
\n18 while maintaining 81 others suffered various degrees of
\ninjuries.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a fact-finding mission from the National Commission
\non Human Rights will leave for the troubled province next Monday
\nto investigate the violence, officials said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"We have been able to confirm that 19 people were brought dead
\nto or died at the hospitals, while nine more died at their homes
\nand were not taken to hospital,\" Edward Syamsuddin, secretary of
\nthe Red Cross in North Aceh, told The Jakarta Post by phone from
\nthe North Aceh capital of Lhokseumawe.<\/p>\n
Edward added that at least 100 more people were seriously
\ninjured and another 15 were slightly injured.<\/p>\n
Troops on Monday opened fire on thousands of protesters
\nblocking a junction in Krueng Geukueh village, some 15 kilometers
\nwest of Lhokseumawe.<\/p>\n
The incident was the latest in a succession of violence
\nprompted by clashes between the military and referendum
\ncampaigners in the troubled province.<\/p>\n
\"The number of casualties could be higher as the Red Cross
\nteam, students and locals are still on the ground searching for
\nmore victims,\" Edward said.<\/p>\n
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
\n(Kontras) cited reports and witnesses that the death toll may
\nhave reached 65, although its members had only seen 23 bodies.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Clementino dos Reis Amaral, secretary-general of
\nthe rights body, told the Post on Tuesday that commission members
\nKoesparmono Irsan and Said Agil Siradj will leave for Aceh on
\nMonday or Tuesday to investigate the incident.<\/p>\n
Mulya A. Hasjmy, head of Lhokseumawe General Hospital, said
\nthat as of Tuesday, at least 51 people were still being treated
\nat the hospital.<\/p>\n
\"At least 58 people, including five dead people, were admitted
\nto the hospital on Monday and two of them were discharged earlier
\nin the afternoon,\" Mulya told the Post.<\/p>\n
Of those who were still being treated in hospital, 30 had
\nundergone surgery on Monday, Mulya said.<\/p>\n
\"Seven are in a critical condition and four of them have been
\ntransferred to (provincial capital) Banda Aceh and Medan (North
\nSumatra),\" Mulya said.<\/p>\n
He said three more people would be transferred from Arun
\nHospital to Lhokseumawe General Hospital for surgery on Tuesday
\nafternoon.<\/p>\n
Mulya said the hospital was running short of anesthetic, high-
\ndose antibiotics and sutures due to the large number patients
\nneeding surgery on Monday.<\/p>\n
An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegate in
\nLhokseumawe, Philippe Beauverd, who had met with Mulya on Monday,
\ntold the Post on Tuesday the organization will try to meet those
\nshortages.<\/p>\n
Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto promised on Tuesday
\nto launch an investigation into the shootings.<\/p>\n
\"We really regret what happened in Aceh,\" Wiranto was quoted
\nas saying by Antara after attending an Air Force ceremony at
\nHalim Perdanakusuma Airport.<\/p>\n
He declined to comment further, saying the military was
\ninvestigating the shooting and an official report would be
\nissued.<\/p>\n
Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer on Tuesday urged
\ntroops and police to show restraint in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Downer was quoted by AFP as saying he could not verify the
\ndeaths reported by human rights groups, but had no doubt scores
\nhad been killed in the incident.<\/p>\n
\"What we can be sure of is that people have lost their lives,\"
\nhe was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif said in a
\nstatement on Tuesday the first shots were fired Monday from the
\ncrowd, and return shots were fired by soldiers in self-defense.<\/p>\n
He was quoted by Antara as saying the incident was caused by a
\n\"misunderstanding\".<\/p>\n
Syamsul said the residents thought their village was going to
\nbe attacked by members of the guided missile detachment, who were
\nin Cut Murong searching for a fellow soldier who was captured by
\nvillagers during a Free Aceh movement rally on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Because of this perceived threat, about 7,000 villagers then
\nattacked the detachment headquarters, as Syamsul described it.<\/p>\n
But Kontras coordinator Munir said troops fired at the crowd
\nafter some of the protesters began to pelt them with stones.<\/p>\n
The crowd had intended to protest over violence by soldiers at
\nCut Murong during a house search by troops, Kontras said.<\/p>\n
Mulya said Lhokseumawe was calm on Tuesday, and
\ntransportation, shops and businesses were already running.<\/p>\n
\"But the hospital today is packed with dozens of people who
\nare looking for their relatives,\" Mulya said.<\/p>\n
The city, near the Arun gas field, has seen several mass
\nstreet protests since last month, mostly in support of a self-
\ndetermination referendum for Aceh.<\/p>\n
Two people were killed when soldiers shot into a crowd of
\nabout 1,000 protesters there last month.<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibie, in his first visit to Banda Aceh in
\nMarch, promised an inquiry into human rights violations during a
\ndecade-long military operation, beginning in 1989, to quell a
\nseparatist movement.<\/p>\n
He said civilian or military offenders would be taken to
\ncourt, but brushed aside calls for a referendum on self-
\ndetermination. (21\/43\/byg)<\/p>",
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