Aceh legislators concerned over civilian killings
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Local legislators expressed concern on Saturday at the number of civilian killings in this volatile province and asked the security authorities to stop the violence and take firm action against the perpetrators.
"Too many people have died for unknown reasons here. Many more are missing without trace. Only if (the family) is lucky, then their bodies are found," Muchlis Muchtar, a provincial councilor who is also a member of an independent inquiry team into rights abuses in Aceh, told human rights activists on Saturday.
Recent reports reveal that civilians have fallen prey to random shootings. In many cases they were mistakenly killed by security personnel, separatist rebels or armed groups.
At least 250 people, including 16 soldiers and 13 policemen, have been killed since January this year. Some 12 civilians have been reported missing this month, while it is thought many other families have been afraid to report abductions or false arrests.
Unofficial data shows that an average of 20 to 25 bodies were found each week in the first two months of the year.
"Most civilians were shot dead without clear reasons, whether in antirebel raids or even at regular vehicle checkpoints," Muchlis said.
Security authorities began the third stage of an antirebel operation name-coded Sadar Rencong III in February to restore order and target some 800 alleged rebels and criminals on the wanted list.
During the hearing, the councilors expressed their regrets over an overnight shooting of two civilians at road checkpoint in front of the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Headquarters in the province's capital Banda Aceh.
"We've just met with Aceh Police chief who has promised to impose stern penalties on any officers who have committed misconduct. Let's hope he keeps his word," Zulkifli Asyiah, another legislator, said.
Reports said police mistakenly shot dead late on Friday night Chairuddin, 24, and injured his friend Zakaria. They were stopped at a vehicle checkpoint when riding a motorbike.
Witnesses said both men were doing nothing wrong when they were shot. Chairuddin's body was taken to a nearby Shabara riot police station before being transferred to Banda Aceh General Hospital at about 1 a.m. on Saturday.
Zakaria is reportedly still missing.
A police source who requested anonymity said the shoots were originally aimed at another man who tried to escape, but Chairuddin was hit instead.
Police officials refused to comment on the incident and asked journalists to directly check with the commander in the field.
Operation Sadar Rencong Commander Col. Yusuf Muharram said in a press release later on Saturday, however, that the two men were members of a suspected armed gang and that they were "running away".
In a related development, villagers found on Saturday the bodies of two men, identified as Siwi and Simin, who had been missing since Wednesday.
Husni Husin, an activist of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) quoted local residents as saying on Sunday that the two men formerly worked as military spies known as cuak and had been captured by the military and taken to Idi Cut Military Command.
Another three men were arrested by the military on Saturday, Husni said.
In North Aceh, a 48-year-old woman identified as Habimah A. Rahman was shot dead on Friday night by alleged rebels in front of her child at her house at Kandang village, local police chief Lt. Col. Syafei Aksal said. (50/51/edt/sur)