Civil war victims 'deserve justice': Dawood

Civil war victims 'deserve justice': Dawood

Febry Orida, Associated Press/Banda Aceh

Civilians who lost family and friends during a three-decade separatist war in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province deserve justice, rebels said on Sunday, days after an agreement was signed to end fighting that claimed nearly 15,000 lives.

The peace accord paves the way for the creation of a human rights tribunal, but the government says warring factions agreed during negotiations in Finland that the tribunal would not be used retroactively. Only violations that occurred after Aug. 15 will be heard.

Rebel spokesman Sofyan Dawood said neither the government nor separatists have the right to make that decision for the victims -- most of whom were civilians.

"That should depend on the Acehnese people whose rights were violated," he said. "We cannot claim to represent them."

Human rights groups have accused Indonesian soldiers and police -- and to a lesser extent Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels -- of killings, torture, kidnappings, rape and disappearances during their 29-year war.

Many of the alleged atrocities occurred when Aceh was under tight military control and escaped the international spotlight. Before the Dec. 26 tsunami, the province was closed to foreign journalists and aid workers.

Dawood said he had no objection if political leaders decided that Indonesian troops and rebels fighters should not be held accountable for crimes in the course of the conflict.

"This could be considered the consequence of a struggle," he said in a telephone interview with AP.

"But they have no right to decide about human rights violations against civilians, the common people," he said.

The peace pact was signed after the rebels gave up their long- held demand for independence for the oil- and gas-rich province at the tip of Sumatra island and agreed to disarm.

In return, Jakarta offered the GAM rebels amnesty and the right to political representation. The military also agreed to pull out more than half of its 50,000 troops in the province of 4.1 million.