Fifteen killed in Aceh violence

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)