Shoot-on-sight for GAM celebrants<\/p>\n
Teuku Agam Muzakkir and Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post,
\nLhokseumawe\/Banda Aceh, Aceh<\/p>\n
The military issued on Tuesday a shoot-on-sight order against all
\npeople who attend the 27th anniversary of the separatist Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM) on Dec. 4.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. A.Y. Nasution, the Lilawangsa Military Resort
\nCommander overseeing northern and eastern parts of Aceh, said
\nthat the order would also be imposed on people who fly and\/or
\ndistribute separatist flags.<\/p>\n
\"We (the military) will not tolerate people in this territory
\nwho join the separatist celebration. No matter who they are, we
\nwill shoot them on sight for supporting the movement,\" Nasution
\nsaid, while calling his troops to intensify patrols across the
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
The military will also be looking for GAM sympathizers during
\nthe patrols.<\/p>\n
\"We also have prepared aircraft to observe the whole territory
\ndirectly from the air, and if we find venues which are hosting
\nthe celebrations, we will bombard those places,\" he asserted.<\/p>\n
The situation was calm on Tuesday in the North Aceh town of
\nLhokseumawe ahead of the GAM anniversary as many people continued
\nwent about their business more or less in normal manner. Shops
\nwere open and public transportation was operating.<\/p>\n
GAM used to mark its anniversary, which falls on Dec. 4, with
\nparades and flag-raising ceremonies. It also used the occasion in
\npast years to call for a three-day general strike across the
\nprovince, asking Acehnese people to respect the day.<\/p>\n
\"Those who close their shops and stop operating their public
\ntransportation vehicles will be considered GAM sympathizers,\"
\nNasution warned.<\/p>\n
In Banda Aceh, the Martial Law Administrator Maj. Gen. Endang
\nSuwarya said that the military had stepped up land, sea and air
\npatrols to prevent GAM rebels from holding celebrations.<\/p>\n
\"We will intensify the patrols so that people will not be
\nencouraged to take part in the celebrations,\" said Endang, adding
\nthat he has ordered troops to stop any separatist fighters from
\nforcing people to attend the ceremonies.<\/p>\n
Pressure has also mounted against the press covering the Aceh
\nwar with some of them claiming they were being \"spied upon\" by
\nintelligence officers.<\/p>\n
\"It seems so silly that five or six intelligence officers are
\nfollowing me wherever I go. They even introduced themselves and
\nsaid that they have been assigned to 'guard' me,\" a journalist,
\nwho asked for anonymity, said.<\/p>\n
Some journalists feared the policy was aimed at preventing
\nthem from covering the GAM anniversary celebration.<\/p>\n
Despite the military's draconian threats, GAM leaders have
\nsaid they still intended to mark the date this year as they had
\nin the past.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri decided on May 19 of this
\nyear to launch a major offensive against the rebels by sending
\nabout 40,000 troops and 12,000 police to put down the decades-
\nlong rebellion, after a five-month-old ceasefire collapsed.<\/p>\n
The military claimed to have killed three more rebels in
\nseparate gunfights across the province on Monday.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Aceh military operation Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani
\nBasuki said Tuesday the government troops also seized four
\nfirearms and a home-made bomb during the armed clashes.<\/p>\n
Basuki said six separatist rebels including a senior leader
\nhad surrendered to the military three weeks after the extension
\nof military emergency status in the province on Nov. 19.<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 GAM members have been killed since then, in
\naddition to about 319 civilians. Another 2,000 have been arrested
\nor have surrendered and 485 weapons have been seized, according
\nto military figures.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/shoot-on-sight-for-gam-celebrants-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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