Aceh legislators concerned over civilian killings

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)