Libya-trained rebels blamed for current Aceh violence<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The military blamed Libya-trained separatist
\nrebels for the current situation in Aceh, where some 100,000
\nresidents have fled their homes.<\/p>\n
The assistant to the chief of Military General Affairs on
\nOperational Affairs, Maj. Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, said one
\ncause of the unrest in Aceh was the arrival of some 600 Acehnese
\ntrained in Libya and a number of Acehnese who were deported from
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
They arrived in the province about six months ago, he said.<\/p>\n
\"When they arrived they were financially supported by the
\nadministration\" because they were unemployed, Endriartono said at
\na media conference on Thursday.<\/p>\n
They began to rob people after the financial support was
\nended, he said.<\/p>\n
\"They began their robberies after acquiring firearms from
\nfellow (rebels) in Thailand,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Far Eastern Economic Review in its latest edition quoted
\nintelligence sources here as saying the Pattani United Liberation
\nOrganization, a separatist Muslim group in southern Thailand, was
\nhelping to channel AK-47 guns across the Thai-Malaysian border to
\nthe northern coast of Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Endriartono reiterated the official version that the thousands
\nof refugees in Aceh were told to evacuate their villages by the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM). He said the reason for this was to help
\nprotect GAM from the security personnel searching for them.<\/p>\n
Some refugees have reportedly said they were told to flee by
\nGAM, while others have said they were fleeing the threat of
\nmilitary violence.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said troops were deployed to Aceh to ensure
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
He said if the security situation worsened and became a
\n\"military emergency\" situation, it was possible military
\noperations would be continued in the province.<\/p>\n
The present military operations in Aceh are civilian-oriented,
\nhe said, referring to the presence of Crack Riot Troops under the
\ncommand of the National Police.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Aceh is bracing for a mass strike initiated by the
\nOrganda organization of public transportation owners, students
\nand human rights groups.<\/p>\n
The call for a strike on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5 has stirred
\ncontroversy, with critics saying there are ways to protest
\nmilitary violence without causing further suffering.<\/p>\n
Organda called for the strike following the harassment and
\nbeating of bus crews, as well as the burning of several buses by
\nunidentified armed groups.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, West Java, during a seminar hosted by the Bandung
\nInstitute of Technology, activist Munir lambasted the failure of
\nlegislators to adequately respond to the problems in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Those suspected of having links with the Free Aceh Movement
\nhave been abducted, arbitrarily detained, tortured and killed,
\nactivists have said.<\/p>\n
Munir, the coordinator of the independent Committee for
\nMissing Persons and Victims of Violence, said with the worsening
\nsituation in Aceh, legislators \"should ask for President's B.J.
\nHabibie's explanation of his handling of the matter\".<\/p>\n
He said if representatives of political parties maintained
\ntheir silence, \"it was tantamount to giving their blessing to
\natrocities in Aceh\".<\/p>\n
A statement from Free Aceh Movement secretary-general Teuku
\nDon Zulfahri, who resides in Malaysia, was read out at the
\nseminar. According to the statement, Aceh had never been a part
\nof Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Aceh sultanates and other leaders such as Tengku Daud Bereueh
\nnever gave away Aceh's sovereignty to any state.\" (43\/edt\/rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/libya-trained-rebels-blamed-for-current-aceh-violence-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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