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.