Acehnese flee homes due to military raids<\/p>\n
SIGLI, East Aceh (JP): About 1,000 residents from three
\nvillages in Pidie regency fled their homes on Saturday following
\ninterrogations by military who said they were seeking a
\ncolleague.<\/p>\n
Pidie military commander Lt. Col. Iskandar MS said the units
\nwithdrew from villages in Geulupang Tiga district, but he could
\nnot identify them.<\/p>\n
Pidie police chief Lt.Col. Sirwandhi Laut Tawar only said the
\nsoldiers conducting the search were not among the riot troops
\nsent from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Members said they were searching for Second Sergeant Adnan
\nMahmud of the intelligence unit of the Lilawangsa command, who
\nwas missing for two days.<\/p>\n
Secretary of the Cot Baroh village, Umur Yusuf, said residents
\nchose to seek shelter at the district office \"rather than lose
\ntheir lives\".<\/p>\n
Umar cited three residents' reports that their homes were
\nraided. Umar said he also told the military that residents had no
\nidea where the missing soldier was.<\/p>\n
Lilawangsa Commander Col. Johnny Wahab confirmed the search
\nbut denied that the military was rough on residents to The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Areas of Meulaboh in West Aceh and Tapak Tuan in South Aceh
\nwere still tense following a burning of a number of district
\noffices, a military command and school buildings by unknown
\npeople on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Chief of the local Teungku Umar command Col. Syarifuddin Tipe
\nidentified a number of potentially restless areas in both
\nregencies, citing unemployment as a cause. A lack of jobs
\nrendered residents vulnerable to \"contamination\" by provocateurs
\nand the Free Aceh Movement, he said. (46)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-flee-homes-due-to-military-raids-1447893297",
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