Aceh violence continues amid Geneva peace effort

Aceh violence continues amid Geneva peace effort

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Separate attacks on government and
police facilities continued in the province on the weekend, which
security officials claim was the work of separatist rebels.

At least four attacks were recorded since Saturday.

Meanwhile, Aceh Besar Police chief Supt. Sayed Hoesainy said
on Sunday a bomb and arson attack destroyed the official
residence of Aceh Besar Regent Sayuti on Saturday night. However,
no casualties were reported, with Sayuti himself out of town at
the time.

According to Sayed, a group of armed men forced four security
guards to vacate the premises before dousing the house with
gasoline and setting it ablaze. Shortly afterward, they detonated
a homemade bomb.

Spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh Besar
Ayah Muni immediately denied the allegations. He said that a
"third party" had done it to taint GAM's reputation.

A few hours earlier, also in the regency, alleged rebels also
burned down the house of a local officer, Sr. Supt. Rusli Saleh,
in Iboh Tanjung village.

Other attacks were reported in North Aceh with local police
chief Supt. Abadan Bangko saying rebels attacked the military
district command on Jl. Banda Aceh-Medan and the nearby police
traffic post in Panton Labu area, Tanah Jambo Aye district, on
Saturday evening using grenade launchers and riffles. No
casualties were reported.

No significant damage on the military district command was
reported either.

Earlier, on Saturday morning, a convoy carrying soldiers in
the Cot Girek area in Lhok Sukon district, some 55 kilometers
from Lhokseumawe, was ambushed.

At least one alleged GAM member, Ismail bin Daud, was killed
in the exchange of fire.

However, a GAM representative in Aceh Besar, Abu Tazurra,
maintained that the movement was only responsible for the attack
on the military and police buildings which was conducted because
police had been engaged in a series of oppressive military
attacks by raiding GAM headquarters, thus violating the
Humanitarian Pause.

Abu also accused another third party, which he said had been
taking advantage of the fragile security condition in the area.

Separately, local community leader Moh. Yusuf said on Sunday
that four farmers were shot to death in Madat village, Simpang
Ulim district in East Aceh regency.

Yusuf claimed the shooting came from patrolling security
officers who were combing the village after the officers earlier
heard gunshots.

"Four of the six were shot dead while the other two were taken
to their office in Simpang Ulim district," he said.

There was no immediate response from police about the
incident.

Diplomacy

While the situation on the ground remained volatile,
negotiators representing the Indonesian government and GAM
engaged in talks in Geneva on Sunday to discuss a possible
extension to the Humanitarian Pause.

"The mood is conducive but results have yet to be seen,"
Abdullah Bakhtiar, a GAM liaison officer, was quoted by AFP as
saying in Geneva.

Bakhtiar said delegations from Jakarta and GAM were
negotiating this weekend in Geneva for a three-month extension to
the truce signed in May, which came into effect on June 2.

The talks are being held behind closed doors at an undisclosed
location, under the aegis of the Geneva-based Henri Dunant Centre
for Humanitarian Dialogue.

A joint-statement was expected at the end of the two-day
talks, which were limited to the discussion of humanitarian
questions, Bakhtiar added. (50/lup)