Aceh military commander replaced

Aceh military commander replaced

JAKARTA (JP): The military commander overseeing security in
Aceh's troubled regencies of Pidie, North Aceh and East Aceh was
replaced on Wednesday.

Riot troop commander Col. Ridwan Karim told The Jakarta Post
by phone from the North Aceh capital of Lhokseumawe on Thursday
that Col. Johnny Wahab was replaced as Lilawangsa military
commander by Col. Syafnil Armen in an official ceremony.

"Johnny has been transferred to Army Headquarters in Jakarta,"
Ridwan said.

Ridwan, who led about 1,200 troops deployed to Aceh in May to
safeguard the general election, refused to elaborate.

Local papers said earlier this month that Syafnil was the
former head of the Army's Intelligence Training Center in Bogor,
West Java.

Violence has been on the rise in the three regencies since
May. More than 70 people, including police and military
personnel, have been killed in clashes between the military and
alleged separatists from the Free Aceh Movement.

North Aceh, East Aceh and Pidie were the worst affected by a
decade of antirebel operations during which the military was
accused of widespread human rights abuses.

On early Wednesday, one man was killed and two more injured
after a group of armed people ambushed a car near Kandang
intersection, about two kilometers east of Lhokseumawe.

Mulya A. Hasjmy, head of the Lhokseumawe General Hospital,
said on Thursday that Abubakar Abdullah, 38, died of a fatal
gunshot wound to the head, while Abubakar Bahrumsyah, 45 and
Mohamad bin Hasan, 43, were hospitalized.

"Bahrumsyah was hit in his left elbow and Mohamad was hit in
his left knee." He added that Mohamad underwent surgery on
Thursday.

Mulya said the three were on their way to the North Sumatra
capital of Medan from Sigli, about 150 kilometers east of
Lhokseumawe, when their car was attacked.

"They are all traders and they were going to shop in Medan,"
Mulya said. Kandang is considered a separatist stronghold in
North Aceh.

Ridwan said that at least one platoon of riot troops has been
deployed to the area following the attack.

Calls for a referendum on self-determination and an election
boycott were the strongest in North Aceh, East Aceh and Pidie.

Separatists were accused by the military of intimidating the
residents into boycotting the elections. They also were said to
have terrorized migrant settlers into leaving their villages.

Thousands of Acehnese also fled to school buildings and
mosques in Pidie, North Aceh and East Aceh due to fears arising
from the heavy military presence in their villages.

Separately from Medan, North Sumatra it was reported that the
attacks on four intercity buses near the border of North Aceh and
Pidie early this month still haunted bus owners in Medan and
Aceh.

Until Thursday, bus owners only operated few of their fleets
plying the Banda Aceh - Medan route because they were still
unsure of the security situation along the 600 kilometers.

"CV Kurnia bus is only operating four buses per day, while we
had earlier operated 12 buses daily," Siti Zubaidah, a staff of
the transportation company said.

Siti said the number of passengers had sharply dropped
especially for afternoon schedules.

Another company, PT Pelangi, said the company only operates at
the most six buses per day because drivers refuse to work at
night.

"Many passengers just booked tickets but then canceled their
trips," Danil, an employee, said.(byg/39/prb)