15 killed in Aceh as troops open fire

JAKARTA (JP): At least 15 people were killed and 77 injured when military troops fired on villagers in Pulo Rungkom, near Lhokseumawe, on Monday.

Lhokseumawe Military Commander Col. Johny Wahab told The Jakarta Post the incident was triggered after thousands of people took 80 soldiers, who were searching for two missing personnel, hostage.

The officers were believed to be abducted by a group linked to the Free Aceh Movement on Saturday.

Johny said the clash -- the second in less than a month -- was an exchange of gunfire between soldiers and civilians.

"The shooting was a act of self-defense after the mob began to open fire. It was also unknown whether the fatalities were killed by our bullets, because some people in the crowd were armed with rifles," Johny said, adding that military personnel found a number of projectiles from the Russian automatic AK-47s.

Johny said his troops used only rubber bullets.

No arrests were made following the clash and no deployment of reinforcement troops, Johny said. "We have restored order and business will be normal as usual."

A doctor at Lhokseumawe General Hospital, Ridwan, said over 50 people who were admitted to the hospital suffered gunshot wounds to the head, stomach, legs and genitals. He confirmed live bullets wounded or killed the victims, although he did not disclose whether the team of doctors found any bullets in the casualties' bodies.

As of Monday evening at 7.30 p.m. West Indonesia Time, surgery to save lives was still underway, according to Ridwan. Three surgeons and eight public doctors took part in the operations, he said.

As well as the Lhokseumawe Hospital, medical workers admitted casualties to a clinic belonging to state-owned fertilizer company Pupuk Iskandar Muda and another health center in the nearby town of Arun.

A witness who requested anonymity told the Post the victims included women and children.

"I saw hundreds of people, including old women and children aged under five being rushed to hospitals," she said.

The previous clash in the North Aceh capital of Lhokseumawe occurred on April 21 when thousands of students tried to attack local police headquarters. A student and a member of the Mobile Brigade were killed.

Provocateurs

Col. Johny said there were signs of the Free Aceh Movement's involvement in the incident, due to the presence of people from outside the village.

"We came to the village to negotiate the release of our members, but the villagers had been told that we would attack them," Johny said.

He said the mob fired on four military trucks loaded with the soldiers. As negotiations failed the crowd, armed with swords and machetes, surrounded the personnel and stoned them.

A resident who requested anonymity, told Antara locals took the soldiers hostage in retaliation for the alleged recent beatings of villagers. "We seek justice, but there has been no response from the security authorities. It appears to be (an act of) vengeance," the news agency quoted the resident as saying.

Johny said North Aceh Military Commander Lt. Col. Giyono was prepared to talk directly to the villagers, but he could not reach the scene because the crowd had blocked off access to the village.

Antara reported the mob also erected barricades on a section of the highway connecting the provincial capital of Band Aceh and the North Sumatra capital of Medan. The barrier lasted five hours until 1 p.m. when warning shots were heard.

Shop owners stopped trading from midday. No public transportation was seen on major thoroughfares.

Demands for a referendum in the westernmost province have intensified in the past year, despite the government and military apologizing for past atrocities and human rights violations. President B.J. Habibie issued a reconciliatory gesture during his visit to Banda Aceh last month.

Meanwhile in Bali, police said on Monday they had deployed 500 personnel to maintain order at Kuta beach, near Denpasar, following a brawl that killed a trader supervisor identified as Herlima on Sunday.

Badung Police chief Lt. Col. S. Sebayang told Antara the security personnel were posted in places prone to conflict between local and migrant traders around the tourist area.

Sebayang said two suspects were being questioned. He added that the case was purely a crime.

More than 200 people burned down at least 175 kiosks belonging to migrant traders last week, the result of an ongoing dispute between local and migrant traders. (amd)