Aceh police targeting rights activists, offices
Aceh police targeting rights activists, offices
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police are continuing to detain and interrogate rights activists
over alleged links to the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Legal Aid Institute director for Aceh Afridal Darmi told The
Jakarta Post in Jakarta on Monday that police were regularly
questioning activists across Aceh.
Several activists from a number of organizations have already
been charged with subversion and face life in jail if convicted.
Darmi said the questioning of six activists with the Legal Aid
and Human Rights Center in East Aceh over the weekend was the
latest case.
The six were identified as the center's director, M. Yusuf
Puteh, and his subordinates, namely Nur Syamsiah, Fitri,
Nazariah, Arma and Fida.
Faisal Hadi, the coordinator of the Coalition of Non-
governmental Organizations in Aceh, said the six were not linked
to GAM.
"The accusation is clearly erroneous because the human rights
center works to uphold human rights and law," he told AFP.
Aceh Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Sayed Husainy admitted police
were questioning the activists.
"Three of them are being questioned, instead of being
detained."
Afridal said that NGOs were still free to make contact with
people inside and outside the war-torn province although there
were limitations on activities due to security concerns.
"We're being closely watched," he said, adding that he feared
the martial law administration might outlaw at least one NGO for
its criticism of the military operation.
Afridal also complained about the difficulties of getting
information on the whereabouts of all the activists in the
province to check on their wellbeing.
On Saturday, a volunteer with the Commission for Victims of
Violence and Missing Persons (Kontras) was found shot dead in
East Aceh.
Kontras board member Munir, speaking in Jakarta, said it could
not investigate the death of Saiful Bachri due to restrictions.
"The military have told us that Saiful Bachri was shot dead by
GAM members," Munir said.
Police have rounded up an unknown number of activists in Aceh
and charged them under state emergency laws with subversion for
alleged links to GAM. The article carries a maximum penalty of
life imprisonment.
One of the accused is Srikandi Aceh women's rights
organization coordinator Cut Asikin. The police alleged Cut is
the commander of GAM's female military wing Inong Balee.
The Center for Information on Aceh Referendum (SIRA) -- whose
chairman is currently on trial for violating the law on freedom
of expression -- and Student Solidarity for the People's Movement
(SMUR) have been accused of being GAM sympathizers.
Chief of the martial law administration in Aceh, Maj. Gen.
Endang Suwarya, has threatened to arrest all of the two
organizations' activists if they continue to support the
separatist movement.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have expressed
concern over the threats against rights activists in Aceh.
Amnesty said: "The imposition of martial law in Aceh has
brought new dangers for human rights activists there."
Besides the military operation and the imposition of martial
law, the government has also tried to isolate the rebels from the
press, the bureaucracy, their exiled leaders abroad and NGOs
overseas in a bid to stamp them out.