421 rebels killed in Aceh

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

At least 421 separatist rebels have been killed since Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam was placed under a state of civil emergency three months ago, an official has said.

Sr. Comr. Sayed Hoesainy of Aceh's civil emergency administration said on Tuesday that the rebels were killed during military operations since May 19.

Over that same period, 20 soldiers and police officers were killed, mostly in clashes with rebels. Hoesainy also accused members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) of killing 50 civilians over the past three months.

The Indonesian Military released a report on Aug. 18 stating that at least 1,159 rebels had been killed in operations in Aceh during the past 10 months.

Martial law was imposed in Aceh on May 19, 2003, as the military launched operations to crush GAM. One year after it was imposed, the government downgraded the martial law to a state of civil emergency.

The military operations were launched following the collapse of a brief truce signed by the government and GAM leaders. According to military and police figures, more than 2,200 rebels have been killed since May last year.

Hoesainy said that over the past three months, civil emergency forces had arrested at least 205 suspected rebels, and that 356 rebels had surrendered to security authorities.

At least 358 firearms have been confiscated from GAM members since May 19, while soldiers lost four guns and police officers three firearms during that same period, he said.

Hoesainy said some 800 other suspected rebels were being tried in Aceh, and at least 132 of them had already been released due to a lack of evidence.

Most of those convicted and sentenced to more than three years in prison will be transferred to jails in Java, he said.

According to data from the Aceh civil emergency administration, as many as 415 convicted rebels have been transferred to prisons in Java since last year.

The transfers are an apparent attempt to weaken GAM, which has been fighting for independence since 1976, and to stop its members from communicating, analysts say.

Asked about the continued violence in Aceh despite its being under a state of civil emergency, Hoesainy said the military and police were attempting to provide security for locals.