JSC to help stop rampant extortion in Aceh<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Joint Security Committee (JSC), supervising a peace accord
\nbetween rebels in Aceh and the government, said it would help
\nstop the widespread extortion in the province.<\/p>\n
Elements of the Indonesian security forces and Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) separatists have been implicated in extortion
\nrackets, including demanding money from truck drivers, the JSC
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
GAM and the Indonesian government had agreed the action was
\nillegal and must be stopped, it said.<\/p>\n
"The JSC is mandated under the COHA (Cessation of Hostilities
\nAgreement) to prevent particular acts of extortion\/illegal
\ncharges," the committee said in a press release on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
It said people coming forward to report extortion by members
\nof GAM or Indonesian troops were almost unheard of before the
\nsigning of the peace agreement.<\/p>\n
"Ninety instances of extortion have been reported to the JSC,
\n12 this past week and a high of 32 reports the week before."<\/p>\n
But the reported cases indicated the level of extortion and
\nillegal levies had fallen and were less severe now than they were
\nbefore the signing, JSC said.<\/p>\n
Still, "it's commonly accepted that the problem has been so
\nrife throughout Aceh for so long that it's part of the social
\nfabric."<\/p>\n
Extortion and illegal levies have become common as armed
\ngroups occupy towns, villages and the roads linking them.<\/p>\n
Obvious victims are truck drivers transporting valuable
\ncommodities inside the natural-resource rich province.<\/p>\n
Aceh's rich natural resources lends to a variety of industries
\nwith commodities ranging from oil and gas to fishery and forestry
\nproducts, including illegal logs.<\/p>\n
Drivers have complained about soldiers and police officers
\ndemanding money or taking cargo from their trucks.<\/p>\n
Military or police posts are located along most highways in
\nAceh. Companies often provide their truck drivers with extra
\nmoney so that they can bribe their way through.<\/p>\n
To address the problem, the JSC plans to investigate reports
\nof extortion and illegal levies. Following a compilation and
\nanalysis of the data, it would publish the result, it said.<\/p>\n
The JSC consists of representatives of GAM, the government and
\nthe Swiss-based non-government organization the Henry Dunant
\nCentre (HDC).<\/p>\n
The HDC spokesman in Aceh, Steve Daly, said it hoped to inform
\nthe public about such violations of the peace accord and entice
\nthem to report cases of extortion and illegal levies.<\/p>\n
The committee would then attempt to sanction those found
\nguilty, he added.<\/p>\n
"The spirit of this (project) is that extortion is a big
\nproblem," Daly told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The JSC said the impact of the extortion was significant as it
\neroded the trust of the population towards both parties.<\/p>\n
Building trust is part of the committee's work. The peace deal
\nhas managed to reduce the level of violence in an important first
\nstep towards building lasting peace.<\/p>\n
Continued sporadic violence in the first month after the
\nsigning has already dampened confidence in both camps.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono has threatened to withdraw from the pact unless GAM
\nrefrains from attacking Indonesian troops.<\/p>\n
The bodies of three GAM members believed to be killed by
\nIndonesian soldiers were discovered this week.<\/p>\n
GAM has been fighting for independence since 1976. The ensuing
\nwar has claimed more than 10,000 lives, mostly civilians.<\/p>\n
Rights groups have accused both sides of human rights
\nviolations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jsc-to-help-stop-rampant-extortion-in-aceh-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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