Acehnese criticize generals' statements on troubled province

Acehnese criticize generals' statements on troubled province

JAKARTA (JP): Acehnese reacted strongly to testimonies given
by former top generals on Monday night at the House of
Representatives, saying their accountability statements
concerning alleged military atrocities in the province were
inadequate and only served to aggravate the situation further.

Moersiddin Moeklas, a political observer from the University
of Syah Kuala in Banda Aceh, said the statements by retired
generals during a hearing with the House's special committee on
Aceh were mere rhetoric.

"The key problem is that errors occurred in implementing the
military's policy, causing human rights violations," Antara
quoted him as saying in Banda Aceh on Tuesday.

Six top ranked former military officials who served in Aceh
and former governor Ibrahim Hasan denied ordering massive rights
abuses in the province.

Those summoned were former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen.
(ret) Try Sutrisno, former ABRI chief Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung,
former defense minister Gen. (ret) L.B. Moerdani, former home
minister Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid, former chief of the Bukit
Barisan Military Command Maj. Gen. (ret) Pramono and intelligence
officer Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar.

Moeklas insisted that despite their denials it was unlikely
the generals knew nothing about the massive atrocities.

Muhammad Sulaiman, a lecturer at the Ar-Raniry Islamic
Teaching Institute in Banda Aceh, said the generals were not
frank in the hearing and accused them of hiding behind military
policy.

"They should speak the truth no matter how bitter," he said,
saying the generals' explanations were far from satisfactory.

Both said the "poor" answers given during the nationally
televised hearing would only aggravate the situation and make it
more difficult to find a peaceful solution to the Aceh issue.

Iqbal Rarabi, a representative of the National Commission on
Human Rights in Aceh, also lamented the hearing, saying that all
it did was exacerbate the already growing dissatisfaction among
Acehnese.

He said the generals should have been more honest and conceded
their faults as a preliminary requirement for a permanent
solution.

Meanwhile in Jakarta, former transmigration minister Siswono
Yudohusodo contended that human rights violations in Aceh
occurred in line with the erroneous policies against movements
expressing discontent in the province.

While not trying to defend the military, he said that
military's policy in Aceh was in line with its defense function
at the time.

"All countries would do the same in handling such rebellions,"
he added.

Shot

Meanwhile the situation in Aceh remained tense with reports of
shootings.

Two men were shot to death by an unidentified armed gang in
Panton Silie village in Central Aceh on Tuesday.

According to Central Aceh Police chief Lt. Col. Misik Natari
the victims, identified as Minto Wiryo, 50, and his son-in-law
Rahmadsyah, 26, were killed when they were shot in front of their
house after they had rushed out to see a flare shoot across the
sky.

Minto's wife Rafina and her daughter Winarti, who both
witnessed the incident, said they did not see who fired the
shots.

Separately, a body of a civilian, who was identified as T.M.
Nur Fairus, was found on Tuesday morning with a gunshot wound to
the chest on a roadside in Tanoh Manyang village, Teunom
district, West Aceh, about 200 southeast of Banda Aceh.

"The body has been taken by his family for burial," Khairul, a
volunteer of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in West Aceh, said.

Meanwhile, about 100 of the 3,500 refugees living in the
compound of Seulimun Mosque in Aceh Besar, about 40 kilometers
east of Banda Aceh, came down with food poisoning on Monday
night.

They were rushed to Zainoel Abidin General Hospital in Banda
Aceh to be treated for nausea, stomachache and vomiting.

Separately in Luyung village, Samatiga district in West Aceh,
31 people were injured and about 60 houses, six motorbikes and a
car were either vandalized or torched in a fray which began on
Sunday night.

According to Haz Nazaruddin, a rights activist from the West
Aceh Student and Youth Coalition Movement, the melee was
instigated by the death of a military officer, identified as Pvt.
Yuwono Triwaluyo, during an exchange of fire with members of the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in the village on Saturday night.
(04/50/edt/rms)