12 soldiers court-martialled amid Aceh war
12 soldiers court-martialled amid Aceh war
Nani Farida and Tengku Agam Muzakkir, The Jakarta Post,
Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe
A military court in Aceh began prosecuting 12 Indonesian soldiers
on Thursday for alleged physical abuse of Acehnese villagers in
the in the province, which is enduring its fourth month of war.
Military prosecutor Maj. (Navy) Maryanto Bandji told the court
in Lhokseumawe that the 12 defendants had assaulted some 50
residents in Dewantara village in North Aceh at the end of
August, a violation of the military law that carries a maximum of
two years and eight months in jail.
The 12 soldiers are Chief. Sgt. Irwan Triyono, First. Sgt.
Suriadi, Second Sgt. Endang, First. Corp. Tri Tjahyono, Second.
Corp. Dede Rahman, Second Pvt. Puji Santoso, Second Pvt. Mohammad
Yusuf, Second Pvt. Abdul Wahid, Second Pvt. Yunus Do Abas, Second
Pvt. Iyan Cahyana, Second Pvt. Budianto and Second Pvt. Iman
Kuswara.
The prosecutor said the abuse was committed after the soldiers
thought that the residents had lied to them about the whereabouts
of a prominent rebel believed to be hiding in the area.
Lt. Col. Achmad Yani Basuki, spokesman for the Aceh military
operations command (Koops), said that the assault began as 12
members of Prabu Kiansantang infantry battalion from West Java
were looking for Saiful Bahri, the suspected area chief of the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM), on Aug. 31.
When they arrived at a coffee shop in Glumpang Sulu Barat
village, they asked local people where Saiful was staying.
They people said they knew nothing about the whereabouts of
the suspect. "Minutes later, the soldiers saw a man leave another
coffee shop in the area, and drive away on a motorcycle," said
Yani.
"Based on that they somehow concluded that the villagers were
telling lies and became enraged and beat them," said Yani.
The trial was adjourned until Friday.
During the first four months of the major military operation
in the troubled province, more than 10 soldiers have been court-
martialled for similar abuses and rape.
Meanwhile, AFP reported that government prosecutors sought
jail terms of 16 and 15 years for two rebel negotiators accused
of terrorism and treason.
Tengku Muhammad Usman and Amni bin Ahmad Marzuki of the
separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) are among five rebel
negotiators facing the charges at Banda Aceh district court.
Both men should be imprisoned because they are guilty of
terrorism and "taking part in an act of crime against the state
in the form of treason," prosecutors told the court in separate
hearings.
The maximum penalty for terrorism is death.
Usman, Amni and three other rebel negotiators were arrested on
May 19 as a major military offensive against rebels began in the
province.
Syafruddin, the chief prosecutor for Amni's case, said the 37-
year-old negotiator had "intentionally" given aid and facilities
to GAM members.
On Tuesday prosecutors recommended prison terms of 18 and 16
years respectively for two other negotiators, Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba
and Nashiruddin bin Ahmed.
The sentence recommendation for the fifth man, Teuku
Kamaruzzaman, was indefinitely postponed on Thursday due to his
illness.