Aceh violence costs hundreds of lives

Aceh violence costs hundreds of lives

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Violence in restive Aceh province in
the last year cost over Rp 42,8 billion (US$5.1 million) in
material losses, the province's governor Ramli Ridwan said on
Friday.

Citing official 1999/2000 data, Ramli also said that 444
people, including civilians, police and military officers, were
killed.

Another 335 people were injured, while 96 remain missing.

At least 359 houses, 146 schools and 135 offices were razed.

The inventory of damage and deaths was included in the
governor's accountability speech to the plenerary session of the
provincial council.

Ramli said that the situation in Aceh was still of concern
because killings, kidnappings and intimidation were continuing
while law enforcement agencies were not performing well.

"Those who violate the law throughout the territory seem
untouchable by the law enforcement apparatus," he said.

"Such conditions are aggravated by the fact that law
enforcement officers cannot protect themselves optimally," he
added.

Assassination

Meanwhile, Aceh Besar Police chief Supt. Sayed Hoesainy
pledged on Friday to step up security patrols to curb attacks on
government and police installations by separatist guerrillas.

He was speaking after revealing that the two-story City Public
Works office on Jl. Pemancar, in Setui village, was hit by an
arson attack in the early hours of Friday.

"We will not let the campaign of terror continue. We will
intensify our patrols," he said. No fatalities were reported, but
he said that material losses could amount to hundreds of millions
of rupiah.

Sayed said two security officers were tied up by six rebels
while they set the main room and the second story of the building
alight.

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on
provincial administration offices.

On Thursday, a bomb rocked the building housing the
Environmental Impact Management Agency and the National Land
Agency. A bomb also exploded in the City Council compound on
Tuesday.

In a separate development, secretary of the provincial
development board Nasiruddin Usda was murdered late Thursday
night by three unidentified men in front of his house in Langsa,
East Aceh.

Nasirudin ran a video game entertainment center, was deputy
chief of the local Pancasila Youth movement and also running for
Langsa mayor.

Police are still investigating the killing. They have yet to
determine whether it was politically motivated or due to business
rivalries.

Meanwhile North Aceh Police chief Supt. Abadan Bangko said two
armed rebels riding a motorcycle attacked Kutamakmur Police
station, killing an on-duty officer.

The attackers fired several rounds at the station as they
whizzed by on the bike.

Abadan also said that a police patrol in Sawang district shot
dead on Thursday three armed rebels who it believed were planting
bombs in the streets of Lhok Meurbo village.

However, North Aceh separatist commander Abu Sofyan claimed
that the three dead men were not rebels. But he conceded that
they were shot because they were suspected to be planting a bomb.
(lup/50)