Teenagers arrested for burning Aceh schools<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and
\nBerni K. Moestafa
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nLhokseumawe, Aceh<\/p>\n
Two teenagers were arrested by the Indonesian Military (TNI) when
\nthey were caught red-handed attempting to set fire to a school
\nbuilding in Bayu district, North Aceh regency, on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The two teenagers were identified as Samsul, 17, and Zulkifli,
\n19.<\/p>\n
\"On June 5, 2003, at 6:45 p.m. the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
\nrebels attempted to burn a school, but were thwarted by the
\nIndonesian Military,\" said the Aceh Military Operation Command's
\nspokesman, Lt. Col. Achmad Yani Basuki.<\/p>\n
Over 400 school buildings throughout the country's westernmost
\nprovince have been burned since the start of the military
\noperation 19 days ago. There are 4,864 public schools, including
\nIslamic schools, spread throughout 20 regencies and
\nmunicipalities in the restive province.<\/p>\n
Students have had to sit their final examinations in mosques
\nor damaged school buildings.<\/p>\n
The burning of the schools has inflicted losses on the state
\namounting to Rp 100 billion (US$12.2 million), and left around
\n40,000 students in limbo.<\/p>\n
Yani said that the two teenagers, who claimed to be members of
\nthe GAM police, had poured kerosene on the school building and
\nhad gone off momentarily to buy cigarettes.<\/p>\n
The military arrested them after receiving reports from
\nresidents that two strangers were seen in the district.<\/p>\n
Samsul, who joined GAM in 1999, admitted that he and Zulkifli
\nreceived Rp 200,000 for each school they burned down.<\/p>\n
\"But we were deceived because we haven't been paid for our
\nlast operation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The school burning operation, according to Samsul, involved a
\ntotal of seven persons.<\/p>\n
\"We were only told to bring kerosene and poured it to the
\nschool building. Those (five other) men would then set it on
\nfire. To burn one school building we only needed seven liters of
\nkerosene,\" Samsul said.<\/p>\n
Both Samsul and Zulkifli said that they were forced to join
\nGAM although they did not want to.<\/p>\n
\"They (GAM) said if we didn't join them, they would shoot our
\nfamily,\" Samsul said.<\/p>\n
Zulkifli said that their job as GAM policemen was to report to
\ntheir superiors if there any strangers entered their territory.<\/p>\n
He also admitted that they both also served as cantoi (GAM
\nintelligence agents).<\/p>\n
Both teenagers said that they could burn two or three school
\nbuildings in one night.<\/p>\n
Yani said the two teenagers had burned down 60 school
\nbuildings since starting their activities three years ago.<\/p>\n
As of Saturday, people living in most parts of North Aceh,
\nCentral Aceh, Bireun and Pidie regencies were still living
\nwithout electricity.<\/p>\n
The director of the state electricity company PT PLN's
\nLhokseumawe office, Sulaiman Daud, said that PLN would need Rp
\n1.2 billion to repair the four toppled pylons.<\/p>\n
\"Each pylon will cost us Rp 300 million to repair,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The blackout was the result of an arson attack on two
\nelectricity relay stations in Peureulak in East Aceh on Thursday.
\nThe power outage will cost the company some Rp 240 million in
\nlost revenue per day.<\/p>\n
The blackout was blamed on GAM.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, PLN is erecting temporary pylons.<\/p>\n
\"So far only electricity poles have been guarded. It's
\nimpossible to guard each pylon as there are too many,\" Sulaiman
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The pylons stand 300 meters apart from each other.<\/p>\n
\"Since we only have soldiers guarding electricity poles, there
\nis a possibility that more towers will be toppled. Therefore, we
\ncall on the people to help us guard the facilities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sulaiman said that the repairs would take one week at the
\nearliest and one month at the latest.<\/p>",
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