2 months sought for troops charged in torture

2 months sought for troops charged in torture

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh

A military prosecutor requested that the Banda Aceh martial court
on Friday hand down light sentences of between one month and two
months in prison to 11 Army soldiers accused of torturing
villagers. He also demanded that the court acquit the troops'
commander from all charges.

Prosecutor Maj. Mariyanto Banji said the soldiers' commander
Chief Sgt. Irwan Priyono was proven not guilty of torturing
dozens of civilians in Glumpang Sulu Barat and Glumpang Sulu
Timur villages, in North Aceh regency on Aug. 30.

"Priyono has initiated peace talks with the villagers and
asked his men to apologize to them (the villagers)," Mariyono
told the tribunal.

The prosecutor charged the 11 soldiers under Article 352 of
the Criminal Code on minor torture which carries a maximum
sentence of three months in jail.

A number of soldiers had previously been court martialled,
with three Army officers sentenced last July to between
two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years in jail for raping four
women in Alue Lhok village, Paya Bakung, North Aceh in June.

The Aceh police claimed to have arrested four members of Free
Aceh Movement (GAM), including a commander and vice commander of
the organization's chapter in Singkil.

The four people were captured after the police raided
suspected GAM headquarters in Jamur Damar village, Lawe district,
which is located some 15 kilometers away from Southeast Aceh
regency capital of Kuta Cane.

The GAM commander, identified as Samsuar Bako, 20, was
allegedly planning the killing of a police mobile brigade officer
Brig. Abdullah Panjaitan a couple of months ago, the Aceh Police
spokesman Sr. Comr. Sayed Husaeny said on Friday.

Separately, the spokesman for military operations in Aceh, Lt.
Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki, said the military had killed eight GAM
members, including a commander of Blang Pidie area, identified as
Imran, 30, in Meupayong Susoh village, South West Aceh.

In the same area, five civilians, including a housewife,
identified as Mariana, 30, and her husband Armya Ali, 40 were
reportedly killed.

Witnesses said the couple were shot dead by seven gunmen early
in the morning on Thursday.

The motive behind the murder of the couple remains unclear,
but police believe it was committed by GAM members.

GAM could not be reached for a response.

Over 300 civilians have been killed since the implementation
of martial law on May 19.

Besides continuing the military operation, the government
pledged on Thursday to take stern measures against government
officials who were found guilty of swindling humanitarian and
social rehabilitation funds.

The police announced on Thursday that they had arrested two
district chiefs for allegedly tapping state funds allocated for
the poor in Pidie regency.

Indrajaya district chief Faisal, 42, was arrested on Sunday
while Mereudu district chief Abdul was arrested on Tuesday.

Police seized Rp 4.5 million (US$535) in cash and bank funds
of Rp 40 million ($4,762) from Abdul as evidence.

Corruption watchdog, the Solidarity for Anticorruption Society
(SAMAK), had earlier reported 392 corruption cases which had not
been investigated. The corruption has resulted in tens of
billions of rupiah in state losses, SAMAK said.

It said that rampant corruption had ranked Aceh as the most
corrupt province in the country.