Activists demand UN help in Aceh as 17 killed
Activists demand UN help in Aceh as 17 killed
Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
Prodemocracy and human rights activists called on the Indonesian
government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) for a ceasefire to pave
the way for a comprehensive and peaceful solution through all-
inclusive dialogs as stipulated in the recent Geneva agreement
between the two sides.
The calls come as fresh reports emerge that 17 people have
been killed in violence in Aceh in the last three days alone.
Aceh Legal Aid Institute director Rufriadi Ramli said it was
impossible to hole further dialog involving the Aceh political
elite without a truce.
"We should not dream of an end to the conflict and a peaceful
situation in the province until the two sides agree to a
ceasefire," he said here on Wednesday.
During the peace talks in Geneva on May 9 and May 10, the two
sides agreed to end the prolonged hostilities and go to the
negotiating table through an all-inclusive dialog to seek a
comprehensive solution to the conflict.
But no agreement on a ceasefire was reached while the war
between the two sides continued in Aceh.
The Indonesian government has rejected the presence of UN
observers in Aceh and the Indonesian Military has ruled out the
proposed truce, saying it would continue to hunt rebels who were
considered to have frightened and intimidated the civilian
population.
Rufriadi said that according to data at his institution,
Indonesia and GAM had held peace talks ten times over the last
two years, "but there has been almost no day without any violence
exerted by the two sides and the violence continues escalating."
The death toll increased to more than 1,000 in 2001 from 575
in 2000. Over the last five months more than 400 people, mostly
civilians, were killed in the almost daily violence in the
province.
Rufriadi said most of the dead were abducted and tortured
before they were killed and no investigations let alone trials
have been conducted because both sides have taken the law into
their own hands.
"The bodies were discovered in dump sites such as by roads, in
rivers and ravines without any investigation from the
authorities," he said.
Faisal Ridha, chairman of the Center of Information for Aceh
Referendum (SIRA) said the Aceh problem could only be solved
peacefully with UN intervention.
"It will be more democratic and fairer if Acehnese people are
given equal opportunities to determine the province's future
under the mediation of the United Nations and without any
intimidation from security authorities," he said.
Faisal who was jailed once for provoking Acehnese people to
use violence, said Aceh must be given the opportunity to
determine its own future through a referendum.
In a related development, 17 people were killed in separate
incidents in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh and in East Aceh over the
last three days.
Nine bodies with bullet wounds were discovered in North Aceh
after a major firefight on Wednesday and early on Thursday. The
dead were believed to have been shot by security personnel for
having ties with GAM.
Tengku Jamaika, spokesman for GAM in North Aceh, said he has
yet to receive any report on the discovery of bodies.
On Wednesday, first Sergeant Muhammad Nasir was killed by a
rebel on a city bus in Lhokseumawe while three rebels were killed
in Paya Krueng subdistrict in East Aceh.
Zaenal Mutaqin, spokesman for the Pattimura Military Command,
said Tengku Soyanm, 35, Muhammad Daud Hasan, 45, and Madi Usman,
24, were killed by the military.
Indonesian Red Cross staff member Marzuki Hasan said his
office evacuated two civilians who were found dead in two
separate locations in Lhokseumawe.
Rusli, 19, was also found dead after an apparent bomb
explosion near the Asean Aceh Fertilizer factory near the town.
Another man, identified as Ismael Ismail, 35, was found dead
with injuries to his head in Blang Seunong, Jeumpa subdistrict in
North Aceh.
North Aceh has been GAM's stronghold where security
authorities have conducted daily patrols and sweeping to seek
rebels.