'Rights abuses in Aceh may lead to UN intervention'<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) warned the
\ngovernment on Friday that intervention by the United Nations (UN)
\nwas imminent if it failed to put an end to the gross human rights
\nviolations in strife-torn Aceh.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the commission's ad hoc team for Aceh M.M. Billah
\nsaid the possibility of the UN sending an investigating team to
\nprobe human rights violations in Aceh was there if the warring
\nparties continued to breach humanitarian law upheld by the Geneva
\nConvention and the human rights law which has been in force since
\n2000.<\/p>\n
"The likelihood will be greater if things do not improve in
\nAceh," Billah told a press conference here.<\/p>\n
Billah said the UN presence in Aceh would be among
\nrecommendations proposed by the human rights watchdog to the
\ngovernment in the next assessment of the third month of the
\nmilitary offensive against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels.<\/p>\n
When asked if the proposal for UN intervention could
\nmaterialize, given the fact that international community had
\nearlier said that Aceh was Indonesia's internal problem, he said:
\n"No, you must recall that the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and
\nthe U.S. Secretary of State Collin Powell expressed regret that
\nthe conflicting sides had resorted to violence,"<\/p>\n
The international community deplored the failure of both the
\nIndonesian government and GAM to resume peace talks that later
\nprompted Jakarta to impose martial law in Aceh on May 19.<\/p>\n
The warning by Komnas HAM came after it completed a five-day
\nmission in the westernmost province. It concluded that human
\nrights violations had decreased compared to the first month of
\nthe military operation, but remained intolerable.<\/p>\n
The commission said that murder, sexual harassment, rape and
\nforced displacement and abduction remained rampant in Aceh. The
\nrights commissioners interviewed 102 witnesses in connection with
\nthe cases.<\/p>\n
The rights watchdog said the martial law administration had
\nfailed to bring security back to Aceh, which was one of the
\nobjectives of the integrated operation in the province.<\/p>\n
"Many of the refugees do not have the courage to return to
\ntheir home villages, as there is no guarantee that they could
\nlead a normal life," he said, adding that many deserted homes of
\nthe refugees had been looted.<\/p>\n
He also said reports of over 230 Acehnese who were seeking
\nrefuge in Malaysia was proof of the government's failure to
\nmaintain security in the resource-rich province.<\/p>\n
A Malaysian official said on Friday 120 of the Acehnese had
\nagreed to go home.<\/p>\n
The administration has also failed to protect public
\nfacilities, as evident in the arson attack on over 500 schools,
\ndepriving tens of thousands of students of proper education,
\nBillah said.<\/p>\n
"We also found school buildings which were used as military
\nbarracks," he added.<\/p>\n
The outspoken member of the rights body said the attack and
\noccupation of school buildings by either warring party was an
\nabject violation of the Geneva Convention, which stipulates that
\nnon-military objects should not become targets of a war.<\/p>\n
The first three months of the military operation claimed the
\nlives of 49 military personnel and police, 198 civilians and some
\n600 rebels.<\/p>\n
Religious leaders and politicians have called on the
\ngovernment to stop the war in Aceh in view of the gross human
\nrights violations committed by the conflicting sides.<\/p>\n
Aware of the fact that there would not be a quick end to
\nconflict between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Aceh
\nrebels, Komnas HAM is now training local youths to work as
\nvolunteers who will monitor human rights violations.<\/p>\n
"Currently, we already have two offices in Bireuen and
\nLhokseumawe. In the next two or three months, I believe that each
\nregency will have a monitoring team," Billah said, adding that a
\nteam would consist of four members.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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