A journalist's brief experience as a GAM hostage in East Aceh
A journalist's brief experience as a GAM hostage in East Aceh
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post's correspondent in Aceh, spent two
nights two weeks ago at the Free Aceh Movement's (GAM) hideout in
East Aceh regency, after she and five other journalists offered
themselves as collateral for the release of about 100 GAM
hostages, including RCTI television cameraman Fery Santoro.
Recovering from the trauma that she endured during the rare
experience, she recounted her story during her stay with GAM.
A starry night illuminated pitch-black Lhok Jok, Peudawa
Rayeuk district, East Aceh regency. Electricity to the village
had been cut by Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatists to make them
harder to detect by Indonesian Military (TNI) troops.
Lhok Jok is an isolated village inhabited by 100 or so people.
It is hilly terrain, situated 64 kilometers from Langsa town and
a GAM stronghold in the regency.
It was the first night (Saturday) that I was staying with GAM
guerrilla fighters, along with five other journalists from print
and TV media outlets, including two from RCTI.
We spent the night at a GAM hideout there to "hand over"
ourselves to GAM so that RCTI cameraman Fery Santoro and about
100 other hostages could be released.
Fery was abducted 11 months ago. His colleague, Ersa Siregar,
who was with him when they were taken, was killed in a gunfight
with TNI troops at the end of last year. Every effort to free
Fery failed, until, in early May, Peurelak GAM commander Teungku
Ishak Daud decided to release the hostages, subject to
conditions.
One of these required that reporters stay overnight to
convince Ishak that he would not be set up and ambushed. The TNI
gave GAM 36 hours to free the hostages but declined to let
reporters stay overnight, for safety reasons.
After intense negotiations, the TNI eventually agreed to six
journalists staying overnight; I was one of them.
The air in Lhok Jok was getting chilly on Saturday. After
magrib (prayers at dusk), we were invited to dinner by GAM men
toting M-16 rifles. About 100 GAM personnel were there. Despite
the TNI's promise not to attack, they were still vigilant. As
guests, we were treated well.
Ishak chatted with us that night, mostly complaining about
reporters who, during the period of martial law, he said, had
filed biased reports.
To him, reporters were inclined to quote the TNI rather than
report directly about the grief of Aceh people. He also explained
that hundreds of civilians detained by GAM now were people who
had requested protection from the cruelty, he said, of TNI. Only
three people were listed as hostages, one of them Fery.
The night was almost over. We stayed in a surau (prayer house)
adjacent to the Lhok Jok mosque.
Fery was released that afternoon (Sunday), in addition to
about 100 other hostages. He was immediately taken to Langsa for
medical treatment. He looked thin, weary and traumatized by the
ordeal. We were saddened at seeing him.
As he left, we remained at Lhok Jok because the release of the
100 other hostages was put back until the next day. Ishak asked
us to stay and the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) promised to return the next day for a customary hostage-
freeing ceremony.
The cessation of hostilities was over but the separatists
requested, through the ICRC and their mediator, Alamsyah, more
time because the hostages were held at different places and they
needed time to collect them.
At 12 midnight on Sunday, the rebels received information that
the TNI had objected to their request. The TNI had blockaded Lhok
Jok with tanks and would strike at 6 a.m.
We tried to contact everyone, using GAM's satellite telephone
to communicate, but to no avail. Head of the Alliance of
Independent Journalists Edy Suprapto, when contacted by us,
confirmed the deadlock.
"Never mind. The TNI are not concerned about your safety. It
would be better if we took you all to the woods. After all, you
have been captives since yesterday," said Ishak, smiling.
We were shocked and scared. We had seen the state that Fery
was in. Who knows? We might have ended up like him.
To make it easier, Ishak divided us into three groups. We had
no choice but to follow his instructions. Initially, I was put
into the same group as Ishak, but he eventually decided to
release me as I was the only woman in the group of reporters.
We hugged each other before departing.
As it was already 3 p.m. on Monday and still there was no good
news from Langsa, all rebels, including the five journalists, set
off. They faded from sight as they passed behind the bushes.
I was alone and, to be frank, scared. Residents who gathered
at the Lhok Jok mosque also looked anxious. According to them, if
subsequently a gunfight were to ensue and rebels were not found,
civilians would become the target.
I couldn't recall how long I'd been daydreaming when suddenly
a GAM rebel approached. I recognized him as Ishak Daud's aide-de-
camp. "Kak (sister), it's OK! The TNI has given us until May 17
-- midnight tonight," he said.
I couldn't believe it at first, but when I saw Ishak Daud and
my colleagues with smiles on their faces, I realized that I
wasn't dreaming.
Some 155 other hostages were freed by GAM. We could now go
home after every hostage had been freed and was in a safe place.
Only when we reached Langsa did we find out that it was our
journalist colleagues in Langsa who had saved us, asking the TNI
to extend the deadline for GAM to release the hostages.