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)