Acehnese activist M. Nazar released<\/p>\n
Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
After serving his full 12-month jail term at the Banda Aceh
\nprison, Muhammad Nazar, chairman of the Aceh Referendum
\nInformation Center (SIRA), was released on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Nazar's release which was witnessed by his lawyers Johnson
\nPandjaitan and Imam Syafiie Saragih, was greeted by more than 200
\nSIRA supporters who had awaited his release for several hours at
\nthe prison.<\/p>\n
SIRA supporters held up a huge banner which read referendum
\nwhile awaiting the release of Nazar in front of the prison gates.<\/p>\n
His supporters greeted Nazar and put him on their shoulders to
\nexpress their joy.<\/p>\n
Nazar was jailed on Nov. 20, 2000, for calling a self-
\ndetermination referendum for Aceh's future and "displaying
\nhostility" against the government.<\/p>\n
Nazar asserted that he and his fellow activists would continue
\nto seek a peaceful solution to the Aceh problem through a
\nreferendum.<\/p>\n
"Of the utmost importance is that Acehnese people must be
\nfreed from the ongoing terrors and intimidation and they must
\nfeel safe on their homeland," he said.<\/p>\n
He said he would continue his fight along with SIRA which he
\nbelieved would continue winning Acehnese support.<\/p>\n
"In the future we will focus on diplomatic struggle to seek a
\npeaceful solution to all the fundamental problems in the
\nprovince. Under the present situation, it is impossible to deploy
\nmasses in fighting for Acehnese people's aspirations," he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a TNI soldier was reported killed and another one
\ninjured in a violent battle between the military and the Free
\nAceh Separatist Movement (GAM) in South Aceh on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The deadly exchange occurred when a joint group of the local
\nmilitary confronted hundreds of GAM rebels on a routine patrol to
\nUjong Pasir Village in the regency.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. Agus Permana, chief of the South Aceh Military
\nSubdistrict, said the body of First Private Bagus, who was killed
\nin the clash, has been sent to his home village in Tegal, Central
\nJava, for burial while Second Private Hartoyo has been
\nhospitalized with gunshot injuries.<\/p>\n
He said the military, in cooperation with the Police, would
\ncontinue to raid numerous areas which are known to be GAM
\nstrongholds in the regency.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-activist-m-nazar-released-1447893297",
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