Fifteen killed in Aceh violence

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): At least 15 people have been killed and five others injured in separate violent incidents here following the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)'s 24th anniversary on Monday, the security forces and residents said on Tuesday.

On Monday, hundreds of GAM rebels took part in ceremonies simultaneously held at 30 places across the province to mark the movement's anniversary.

Hundreds of Acehnese had been helping the rebels hoist thousands of GAM flags in their localities since Sunday evening and, on Monday morning, they assembled at mosques to pray for peace in the ravaged province.

The commemorations were held in defiance of the police who had warned that they would take stern action against those involved in separatist activities in the province.

However, the situation in the capital of Banda Aceh was calm on Monday as residents said that hundreds of GAM rebels assembled at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, while, at the same time, soldiers also gathered at the Teuku Umar military command post, some 200 meters away from the mosque, to pray for peace in the territory.

The mosque and the military compound were only separated by the Krueng Aceh river.

In his speech, the Teuku Umar Military commander Col. Syarifuddin Tippe asked his soldiers on Monday to adopt a more humane approach towards local residents.

In other parts of Aceh, GAM deployed its rebels within a radius of five kilometers to safeguard ceremonies, while the security forces launched separate operations to hamper separatist activities.

The violence linked to the celebration of the movement's anniversary has claimed at least 15 fatalities since Monday.

North Aceh Police Precinct chief Supt. Abadan Bangko said four died and five others were wounded when GAM rebels initiated separate attacks against patrolling security personnel in Nisam, Matangkuli and Tanah Pasir districts here.

He said the gunfight that broke out in Nisam had killed one soldier and injured a civilian, while two people were killed and four others were injured in Matangkuli.

Separately, North Aceh GAM Commander Abu Sofyan Daud said his fighters were forced to launch an attack against the security forces as the latter were shooting at local residents and set fire to 35 houses in the area as they got closer to the site where GAM was holding its ceremony.

Similar violence also broke out in Setia Bakti district in West Aceh, killing six people, the security task force chief of the 133rd infantry battalion Lt. Col. Bambang Prasetio said.

He identified the fatalities as GAM rebels who ambushed a military patrol.

Meanwhile, West Aceh GAM spokesman Abu Tausi claimed that the security forces had fired shots at unarmed residents, who had nothing to do with GAM, mainly because the troops thought they had hoisted GAM flags in the area.

Separately, a security forces patrol also killed two unarmed residents of Manggeng district in South Aceh and three others in Peurelak district in East Aceh as they tried to flee from the security forces.

In Jakarta, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf confirmed on Tuesday that GAM rebels attacked the security forces in Matangkuli district, North Aceh, and launched a shooting attack in Peurelak district, East Aceh, on Monday morning.

The security forces, he said, had also defused two homemade bombs planted on the road connecting Banda Aceh and the North Sumatran capital of Medan.

Saleh said six rebels were killed in an exchange of fire, following the removal of GAM flags in Setia Bakti district, West Aceh.

Security personnel also found a grenade launcher, a live grenade, four homemade firearms and one unregistered van at the scene, he said.

He added that at least three members of the security forces were killed in the violence that erupted over the past two days. The latest violence occurred on Monday in Cok Mambon, Nisam district, North Aceh, killing a marine officer and severely injuring another.

In an unrelated development, after organizing the Mass Gathering for Peace (SIRA RAKAN) on Nov. 11, the organizers are holding another event called the International Solidarity Week on Aceh Human Rights Violations (Persikab HAM Aceh) which runs from Dec. 4 until Dec. 10 and is designed to draw international attention to the Aceh problem.

A member of the organizing committee, Muh. Taufik Abda said that representatives had been sent to various European countries to garner support from non-governmental organizations concerned with human rights so as to help settle the Aceh problem.

Dialogs on human rights, book launchings and advocacy to the press demanding the prosecution of human rights violators would be held to mark the event.

Saleh Saaf also said on Tuesday that police were still waiting for the government to declare GAM a rebellious, separatist movement so that full force could be employed to destroy the armed group.

"Police are still following the government's policy which prefers to settle this problem through dialog. That's why we can act only when we find somebody carrying a weapon," Saleh told reporters at police headquarters.

"There is no political statement saying that the police should unite with the military to destroy GAM," Saleh said.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Military chief Adm. Widodo AS claimed on Tuesday that the military and police had found GAM's headquarters and training camp, but had no intention of launching an attack.

"We will not take any offensive or repressive action against them. We do not want to do that," Widodo told a media briefing at Army Headquarters as quoted by Antara. (50/lup/jaw)