Ersa killed by military bullets: Ryamizard

The Jakarta Post, Denpasar/Bandung/Medan

Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu admitted on Tuesday RCTI journalist Sory Ersa Siregar was hit and killed by bullets fired by Indonesian Military (TNI) troops.

The admission, however, failed to stop the mounting demand for an independent investigation into the death of the senior journalist, who had been held hostage by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels for over six months before the fatal incident.

"He (Ersa) was shot by our troops. Why, because he was (traveling) with the GAM members. The firefight between our troops and GAM lasted 20 minutes. It was a long period," Ryamizard said on the sidelines of the induction of the new Bali- based Udayana military commander.

"Bullets cannot differentiate targets, can they?"

Ryamizard said the shoot-out occurred in a difficult and swampy terrain in East Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, which made it impossible for the troops to make accurate, positive identification of their enemies.

"It happened in a swampy jungle where you could not see the enemy," he said.

Ersa's death, according to Ryamizard, was a risk a war journalist had to anticipate when covering the news from the battle front.

The Army chief said the military would welcome any party demanding an investigation into the death of Ersa, he said.

"We will provide access to the results of our investigation for anyone (who wants to obtain it)," he promised.

He also warned the international community against meddling in the case saying Ersa's death was an internal matter.

Ersa was buried at the Astana Raga public cemetery in Tangerang, Banten on Tuesday. Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral, not to mention the thousands of people who lined the roads from Ersa's residence to the cemetery.

Meanwhile several demonstrations were held across the country on Tuesday, demanding an independent investigation into Ersa's death and the release of RCTI cameraman Ferry Santoro who remains in the hands of GAM.

In Jakarta, about 100 journalists held a peaceful rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

Hasballah Saad, an Acehnese leader and former state minister of human rights, and rights activist Munir added pressure on the government to launch an independent investigation into the death of Ersa, who was reportedly sick during the gunfight.

"The committee has to reveal what happened, because Ersa cannot be seen merely as a person but as a symbol of an independent organization of journalists that needs space to perform its duties," said Hasballah.

During the rally, organized by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the journalists wore black T-shirts and carried white flowers with cards which read "Grief for Ersa".

In Denpasar, Bali, some 20 local journalists held a prayer for Ersa and demanded a full and thorough investigation into his death. The rally in the North Sumatra capital of Medan was attended by over 100 journalists while similar solidarity was shown by dozens of journalists in Bandung.

The New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists also urged the military "to fully investigate the circumstances behind this tragic incident and to make the findings public".

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said both the military and Aceh rebels "have to share responsibility for this tragic death".

In a statement it said IFJ delegates met Indonesian ambassadors around the world and the government in Jakarta just days ago, seeking a safe release.

Meanwhile, Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) blamed the RCTI management for its lack of efforts to secure Ersa's release and that of his friends.

"MER-C was asked by GAM on Dec. 26, to mediate the release, but RCTI chief editor Derek Manangka refused the offer," MER-C chairman Joserizal Jurnalis said in a statement.

Derek, however, denied Joserizal's claim.

"I do not know whether there has been any contact in the field between MER-C staff and RCTI, but as far as I know, as the head of RCTI I have never been contacted by MER-C on the matter," Derek said.

He said the oldest private TV channel in the country had established a crisis center and sent a letter to GAM asking them to free their journalists but the request was rejected.