Aceh mass rally ends peacefully
Aceh mass rally ends peacefully
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Contrary to people's worry, the mass gathering involving around 50,000 people from all corners of the restive province of Aceh took place here peacefully on Saturday, thanks to the organizing committee's commitment to the police.
The gathering, taking place at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque yard was filled by speeches by members of the Information Center for Aceh Referendum (SIRA), which sponsored the rally.
No violence was reported and no single policeman or security officer was seen guarding the gathering. The traffic and parking around the venue was also handled by the attendants of the mass gathering.
Cut Nur Asikin, a SIRA official, one of the orators, asked the audience to maintain security and order.
"Please don't do any rebellious actions. I have made a deal with the Aceh Besar Police that my life is at stake. If you do anything leading to disorder, I'll be finished," Nur Asikin said. "Don't break our agreement with the police."
She said a meeting with Aceh Besar Police chief Supt. Said Husain had been made before the gathering.
The rally had previously planned to be used as a forum for a call for a referendum, but strong response from the central government apparently changed the organizing committee's plan.
Coordinating Minister for Politics, Social and Security Affairs Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Friday that firm actions would be taken to prevent the rally from turning into a call for a referendum or independence.
Many of Saturday's rally participants were staying on the trucks, buses and other vehicles just yelled Merdeka (Freedom) to respond the speech. Some of them just stretch a large white banner with word Referendum painted blue on it.
There were no Indonesian Red-and-White or Aceh Separatists Movement (GAM) flags waged in the gathering. Some of people waged a United Nation flag.
The people dispersed peacefully at about 3 p.m. without the organizing committee's acknowledgement whether or not the target of the assembly was met.
The villages in the regencies of Pidie, North and South Aceh were all crippled. Like Banda Aceh, shops, offices and schools in the regencies were all closed on Saturday.
Those who failed to join the rally just stayed at home or gathered at local mosques for saying prayers.
"Such situation started four days ago after police officers blocked all access to Banda Aceh prior to the mass gathering," a local said. "This has impact to the people's daily economy. An egg which was only Rp 350 each before now costs between Rp 500 and 700 each."
Victims
Police defended their claim that only 14 people were killed in separate incidents through the province over the past few days as security officers blocked access to Banda Aceh, obstructing people from attending the gathering.
The Jakarta Post correspondent recorded, based on the hospitals' records, the death toll reached 21.
However, SIRA claimed that 32 people were killed by security officers.
Coordinator SIRA's consulate in Cairo, Egypt, Munawar Zain told the Post on Saturday that a total of 200 people had been killed by police and military since Wednesday, and 210 others were injured.
Jakarta's SIRA coordinator Faisal Saifuddin told a press meeting at Sabor Brazil cafe that SIRA could not condone the Indonesian military and police atrocities.
Reading the so-called Aceh People Decision for Peace, Faisal said that all Indonesian military and police troops must be pulled out from Aceh soon. "Or, we the whole people of Aceh will remain in peaceful resistance against the invader."
"Independence with enactment of Islamic Laws in Aceh State is a fixed price," Munawir added. "Aceh must be an independent Islamic state without Indonesian interference."
Meanwhile in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, political observer of the National Institute of Science (LIPI) Hermawan Sulistyo said that independence would not answer the complicated problems in Aceh. "Who will become the king (leader). There will be many more problems to be dealt with."
"The main problem now is how President Abdurrahman Wahid's administration performs its promises to Aceh people through concrete actions," he said. "The initial policy was good. There were humanitarian, security, political and economic approaches. Now we need the actions." (50/51/01/27/sur)