Fact-finding team formed as more bodies discovered
Fact-finding team formed as more bodies discovered
JAKARTA (JP): A military police fact-finding team has been
formed by the Armed Forces (ABRI) in Aceh province to probe the
violence in East Aceh following the discovery of more bodies.
Chief of Lilawangsa Military District Col. Johnny Wahab said
Friday if it turned out that military men were involved, "They
will be punished in line with the law."
"We are still searching for the killers," he said, adding the
team started work Friday.
He said seven were killed in the clash in the hamlet of
Meusanah Blang Idi Cut of Darul Aman subdistrict in Idi Rayeuk in
East Aceh Wednesday. He added East Aceh police had the names but
the police were unavailable for comment Friday. On Thursday 12
victims were identified Thursday by the Iskandar Muda Legal Aid
Office in Banda Aceh.
A local correspondent has reported from Banda Aceh that four
out of six bodies found on Thursday in the Arakundo River in
Simpang Ulim subdistrict near the scene of the clash could be
identified: Irwansyah bin Usman, 22, resident of Kapai Baro
Village, Hasbi Saleh, 35, resident of Leubok Tuha Village, Irwan
bin Matsyah, 24, and Jailani Muhammad, 22, both residents of
Jambo Bale-I Blok-M Village in Julok subdistrict.
The bodies were found tied in sacks full of around 60
kilograms of stones in the river.
Locals said they had directed the search for bodies along the
wide river after seeing a truck stop for a long time on a bridge
over it early Friday and witnessing much blood at the site.
The violence occurred after some 20,000 locals who had
assembled to hear a sermon in a mosque in the hamlet were
dispersed by unidentified armed men. More deaths were feared as
families reported members missing.
Col. Johnny had said the meeting in which an inflammatory
sermon reportedly incited the audience was organized by the Free
Aceh separatist group. He said around 200 military personnel have
been sent to secure the area.
Human Hamid, a local figure, condemned the shooting and blamed
the local military for the tragedy.
He said the military has always used classic accusations
against "separatists" to account for any unrest in the province.
Aceh was subjected to a military operation against separatists
from 1989 to 1998. Many killed by the military were not members
of the separatist movement, Human said.
Meanwhile, around 40,000 university students held a meeting in
Banda Aceh demanding separation from Indonesia.
The protest followed a statement from Governor Syamsuddin
Mahmud, who told Antara Thursday that the best solution to
maintain the integrity of this widely diverse country was a
federal state. Given the religious devotion of the Muslims in
Aceh, it was possible to apply Islamic law there, he said,
without reference to the recent violence.
"We will no longer demand greater autonomy," Kautsar,
secretary general of the Student Forum for the People (SMUR),
said.
"The central government should prepare the best means to make
way for separation." (rms)