Body of slain serviceman found, ABRI says

Body of slain serviceman found, ABRI says

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces say an intensive sweep of East
Aceh regency bore results on Thursday with the discovery of the
body of one of eight servicemen reportedly attacked and kidnapped
by residents near Lhok Nibung village.

Second Private Tulus P. Sidabutar of the Bireuen 113 Infantry
battalion was found dead with extensive head injuries. His body
was discovered in the Arakundo River, East Aceh.

Maj. Gen. Ismed Yuzairi, the chief of the Bukit Barisan
Regional Military Command, accused on Thursday Aceh Merdeka
separatists of provocation and of being behind a series of unrest
and of torturing soldiers in North and East Aceh regencies.

"ABRI is now chasing after Ahmad Kandang, one of the figures
who has provoked people to commit violence," he told reporters on
Thursday in Medan, North Sumatra.

An on-duty officer at Lilawangsa Military Command in East
Aceh, contacted by The Jakarta Post by phone on Friday, said his
office had not been informed of any new development in the search
for the still missing seven soldiers. The seven are believed to
be dead.

"We are awaiting a report from the military district command,"
he said.

The whereabouts of the other seven soldiers -- marine Maj.
Edyanto Chairuddin, chief of the marines' task force in Bireuen,
and chief Sgt. Syaefuddin of the North Aceh military district,
and privates Respon Sialagan, Mangatas Turnip, Marasil Sinaga,
Joulas Sirait and Yunus Tarigan, all members of the Bireuen
Infantry Battalion -- is still unknown.

The sole survivor and witness to the reported kidnapping is
Second Sgt. Askani.

Earlier reports said two separate incidents occurred in
Simpang Ulim and in Lhok Nibong, on Tuesday and Wednesday
respectively.

In the first case, Edyanto, Syaefuddin and Askani were
patrolling the area when they were kidnapped.

In the second incident, the six Bireuen infantrymen --
together with 10 fellow infantrymen -- were on a bus heading for
Medan, North Sumatra, for a Christmas vacation, when some 200
residents near the village of Lhok Nibung stopped and searched
the vehicles for Armed Forces personnel.

Ten of the second group of the servicemen escaped because they
reportedly were able to show the mob their civilian identity
cards. The other six only had military identity cards on them and
were dragged out of the bus.

Assistant for intelligence operations at Bukit Barisan
Regional Military Command, Col. Liliek A.S., said the authorities
obtained reports from witnesses to the hanging and burning of the
kidnapped soldiers.

Liliek confirmed the atrocities were committed by separatist
rebels. He said the rebels had been addressing the public,
including at mosques, in North Aceh about their Aceh Merdeka
(Free Aceh) cause.

He said police had detained 14 suspects, who had admitted to
being members of the separatist group, for questioning.

Unrest also took place in West Sumatra on Wednesday when
hundreds of residents of Tarusan, Pesisir Selatan, went on a
rampage following reports that police had released two alleged
thieves.

Rioters pelted stones at the police station and the residence
of the police chief. They demanded police recapture the two
alleged thieves.

West Sumatra Police chief Col. Boedi R. Koestono said police
had no grounds to keep the two men in detention.

"There was no strong evidence... with which to prosecute the
two," he said. He suggested the unrest was incited by "certain
parties".

Meanwhile, military observers Indria Samego and Lt. Gen. (ret)
Hasnan Habib supported on Friday a request by Armed Forces
Commander Gen. Wiranto that the National Commission on Human
Rights investigate the reported killings of the officers in Aceh.

Both believe the request was a challenge for the rights body,
which over the years has consistently investigated and revealed
rights violations committed by the military.

Both men also called on the rights commission to conduct a
thorough, fair and impartial investigation into the case.

Hasnan pointed out how the public now found it difficult to
trust the military, which was why an independent body was needed
to investigate the reported murders. (21/28/01/imn)