150 civilians killed in Aceh war

150 civilians killed in Aceh war

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least 150 civilians have died, 80 have been wounded, and
another 71 have gone missing since the government launched the
integrated operation in the troubled province of Aceh on May 19,
authorities say.

Aside from civilian casualties, 325 members of separatist Free
Aceh Movement (GAM), 28 government troops, and four police
personnel have been killed in the campaign aimed at flushing out
GAM rebels in the resource-rich province.

Martial law administration spokesman Col. Ditya Soedarsono
said on Friday that 55 members of the Indonesian Military (TNI)
and 15 police personnel were also wounded, while 258 GAM members
were arrested, 256 of them had surrendered to the authorities.

Besides human casualties, police also said on Friday that 535
school buildings had been burned, with the last arson attack
occurring on July 2 at three schools in North Aceh.

At least 224 houses, 11 offices, three public facilities, two
vital facilities, five bridges, two motorcycles and 62 cars have
also been set on fire.

The present conflict began on May 19 when the government
launched a military operation to crack down on the secessionist
GAM, which has long been fighting for separation from Indonesia.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Second Pvt. Achmad Syarifuddin, a TNI
soldier with the 18th Trisula Infantry Brigade, is believed to
have died of poisoning in Sidomulyo area, Nisam district in North
Aceh.

"Achmad was suffering from high fever, vomiting and diarrhea
after he consumed water from a well belonging to a local here.
Before that, he also ate nutmeg fruit in the area," the commander
of Malang's (East Java) Trisula Brigade Lt. Col. Deddy Kusmayadi
told reporters at his command post in Blang Rantau area, Sawang
district.

He was admitted to a nearby military medical clinic, but died
on his way to the clinic.

A post mortem examination has provided evidence that Achmad
was poisoned.

Deddy said a similar case also befell one of his subordinates
recently, who died two days after he drank coffee that was
offered by a local resident in the area.

TNI accused GAM of deliberately using poison in their
struggle against the TNI. Deddy said the TNI had found a document
in the Nisam district, which revealed that GAM had a poison
expert named Elyas Rachman, who had died in a gun contact with
TNI recently.

In Lhokseumawe, the trial of three TNI soldiers accused of
raping four women was adjourned until Tuesday next week due to
technical reasons, said a Lhokseumawe state court official.

Muhifuddin, a Lhokseumawe court official, said two military
officers dropped by his office on Thursday afternoon, telling a
court official that the military court had canceled a plan to use
the Lhokseumawe court on Friday morning.

The military officers said the TNI was not ready to commence
the trial.