Arrest of rights activists condemned<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A human rights activist criticized on Monday the arrest of
\nAceh students and rights activists during the first week of a
\nmajor military campaign against rebels in Aceh, warning it could
\nworsen human rights violations by the military and the police.<\/p>\n
"It has long been known that the TNI (the Indonesian Military)
\nhas always been reluctant to allow investigations into possible
\nhuman rights violations," sociologist and human rights activist
\nOtto Syamsudin Ishak told The Jakarta Post. "These arrests are
\nthe only way for the security apparatus to limit the access of
\nactivists investigating human rights abuses in Aceh."<\/p>\n
As of Monday, 45 students and activists had been apprehended
\nsince the military operation began in Aceh on May 19.<\/p>\n
They might have links with Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
\nseparatists, said Aceh Police chief Inspector General Bachrumsyah
\nKasman.<\/p>\n
Among the 45 suspects, 19 could face charges of subversion.<\/p>\n
These include the GAM representatives at the Joint Security
\nCommittee (JSC), a forum to implement the now-defunct peace
\naccord with GAM signed in December last year.<\/p>\n
The GAM representatives, Teuku Kamaruzzaman, Sofyan Ibrahim
\nTiba, Muhammad Usman Lampoh Awe, Nasiruddin bin Ahmad and Amni
\nbin Marzuki, were arrested shortly before they tried to leave for
\nthe Japanese capital, Tokyo, to attend a last-ditch meeting to
\nsave the peace accord.<\/p>\n
"Those proven to be members of GAM, or its supporters, will be
\nindicted on charges liable to capital punishment," said Kasman,
\nas quoted by Antara on Monday.<\/p>\n
Conversely, he added, the police would free any arrested
\npersons with no proven links to GAM.<\/p>\n
However, Otto said that human rights activists had been
\ndeliberately targeted and thus were liable to false arrest.<\/p>\n
The detention of human rights monitors, he warned, could give
\nleeway to Indonesian and GAM troops to commit more human rights
\nabuses.<\/p>\n
Amnesty International voiced its concern over a surge in
\nabuses since martial law was declared in Aceh on May 19, AFP
\nreported.<\/p>\n
"Reports already indicate that this is the case -- that
\ncivilians, including children, have been subject to extrajudicial
\nexecution, and that many thousands of people have been forced to
\nflee their homes..." said an Amnesty report at the weekend, which
\nfaulted both GAM and Indonesian troops.<\/p>\n
Journalists covering the war have also been subject to police
\nquestioning over reports of human rights abuses by the TNI.<\/p>\n
Otto demanded the National Commission on Human Rights (KOMNAS
\nHAM) intervene to protect activists from arbitrary arrest.<\/p>\n
He added that civil groups at home and abroad were also asked
\nto support their peers in Aceh. He called for pressure to be
\nbrought against the Indonesian government to allow human rights
\nmonitors free access into the war-torn province.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/arrest-of-rights-activists-condemned-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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