Ersa killed by military bullets: Ryamizard

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.