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)