Rights group accuses TNI of Aceh abuses<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Amnesty International on Wednesday accused the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) of rampant violence in Aceh and said
\nthat deploying more troops in the province would only worsen the
\nsituation.<\/p>\n
The London-based group said "the armed opposition also have a
\nresponsibility to halt human rights abuses and to immediately
\ninstruct GAM (Free Aceh movement) members to stop unlawful
\nkillings of soldiers and civilians".<\/p>\n
Amnesty's strongest criticism however, was directed at the
\nmilitary. It said that at least 40 -- possibly as many as 70 --
\npeople were reportedly killed by security forces during counter-
\ninsurgency operations in Beutong village, West Aceh, on July 23.<\/p>\n
The military said the victims were killed in a gunfight, but
\nwitnesses said they were massacred.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has sent about 1,200 reinforcement troops to Aceh
\nafter 41 civilian protesters were killed in North Aceh in May.
\nSome 7,000 more troops will be dispatched to crush the ongoing
\nrebel movement.<\/p>\n
Amnesty however said: "in the current climate of impunity,
\nincreasing troop numbers, rather than attempting to address the
\nproblems in Aceh, will only worsen Aceh's already critical human
\nrights situation."<\/p>\n
Amnesty said it had warned in January that human rights
\nviolations could escalate if troops were redeployed to Aceh.<\/p>\n
"Since then dozens of people have been unlawfully killed,
\nincluding by troops sent to the province in recent months to
\nresolve the violence," Amnesty said.<\/p>\n
Violence has been on the rise in the province, claiming more
\nthan 200 lives, including troops and police. The violence has
\nalso displaced nearly 100,000 people, who are now sheltering in
\nmosques and school buildings.<\/p>\n
"The recent escalation in human rights violations in Aceh,
\nincluding dozens of extrajudicial executions, disappearances and
\narbitrary arrests flies in the face of the government's
\ncommitments to address human rights problems in Indonesia,"
\nAmnesty said.<\/p>\n
It also said: "President B.J. Habibie's government has so far
\nfailed to bring to justice members of security forces who
\ntortured, disappeared or unlawfully killed thousands of Acehnese
\nduring counter-insurgency operations in Aceh from 1989 to 1998.<\/p>\n
"The government's failure to address human rights violations
\nin the past sends a message to the security forces that they can
\ncontinue to kill ... without being held to account."<\/p>\n
From Banda Aceh Teuku Umar military commander Col. Syarifuddin
\nTippe, in response to Amnesty International's allegations, said
\nWednesday, "it is impossible that TNI could be so cruel."<\/p>\n
"What do you think we are, the enemy of the state?"<\/p>\n
Regarding the incident in West Aceh, he reiterated the
\noriginal report of the military that 31 had died despite findings
\nof new bodies.<\/p>\n
There was a possibility that the additional victims were
\nkilled by the Free Aceh Movement members themselves, Syarifuddin
\nsaid, citing earlier incidents in which civilians were found dead
\nwith severe wounds or were chopped up.<\/p>\n
"The reason why people fear the GAM more than the military is
\nthat they are more sadistic," he said.<\/p>\n
On progress of TNI's efforts regarding the Aceh problem,
\nincluding the assignment of high ranking officers to the
\nprovince, he said he had no knowledge of results of the
\nassignment of former Jakarta military commander Sjafrie
\nSjamsuddin in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The military has said Sjafrie, similar to Lt.Gen. Fachrul
\nRazi, who is now the secretary general to the Ministry of Defense
\nand Security, had been assigned to Aceh "to seek input" to
\nsolutions to the Aceh problem. A spokesman had then denied rumors
\nthat Sjafrie had anything to do with recent atrocities in Aceh.
\n(byg\/anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-group-accuses-tni-of-aceh-abuses-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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