Fighting continues despite completion of peace talks
Fighting continues despite completion of peace talks
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): While talks between Indonesian security
forces and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels, aimed at
supporting the ongoing ceasefire, were concluded on Thursday,
fighting continued in the Aceh province, officials said.
At Hotel Kuala Tripa here, the warring sides have been
negotiating ways to prevent further clashes, a statement from the
Information Department for the Aceh Humanitarian Pause stated.
"The negotiators will continue working on details outlining
methods to improve communication between field commanders," the
statement said.
The agreement reached aims to reduce violence in Aceh and to
continue conducting casual communication between the conflicting
parties.
The discussion, the third of its kind, ended on Thursday
afternoon and will be continued on March 15, the statement said.
Government representatives joining Thursday's session were Sr.
Comr. Manahan Daulay, Sr. Comr. A. Yahya, Maj. Nandang Iskandar
and Lt. Col. Zamzami, while GAM envoys in attendance were Amni
bin Abdul Wahab, Saiful bin Muhammad Ali, Mustafa bin M. Jafar
and Zamzami bin Abd. Rani, as well as observers Sr. Comr. Ridwan
Karim, facilitator from the Henry Dunant Center Dominik Knill,
and Nashiruddin bin Ahmed.
Violence in Aceh from late Tuesday until Thursday, however,
has resulted in the death of at least five people and injury to
scores of others.
A policeman was killed on Wednesday and two others seriously
injured in West Aceh when after becoming trapped in a rebel
sweeping operation in Kuala Unga village, police spokesman Adj.
Sr. Comr. Yatim Suyatmo said on Thursday.
"The fatality, Brig. Erjan Dasmi, was driving a car belonging
to the Pidie Police chief, from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh with two
other officers Brig. Mardani and Brig. Rinaldo.
"When they passed through the village, they saw troops
checking the road. They turned out to be GAM soldiers who soon
began firing shots at them," he said, adding that Dasmi died from
severe gunshot wounds to the head, neck and back.
Abu Tausi, GAM's commander in Meurohom Daya, West Aceh,
admitted responsibility for the fatal shooting.
"The Banda Aceh-Meulaboh route belongs to us," Abu boasted.
On Thursday, two separate incidents took place in East and
North Aceh. A 14-year-old boy named Asnawi, of Peulalu village in
Simpang Ulin, was shot and killed at around 8 a.m. local time,
Zulkarnaini, a humanitarian activist from the Anti-violence
Student and Youth Forum, said.
"Military troops were combing the area when suddenly they came
across this boy and asked him about GAM rebels. The boy said he
didn't know anything about them and he was shot in the head," the
activist said.
Two people were also injured during the incident and treated
at a local community health center.
In Palok village, of Dewantara district in North Aceh, TNI
officer Sgt. Maidas was washing his car when an alleged rebel
shot and killed him at around 2 p.m. on Thursday, witnesses said.
Upon hearing about the incident locals rushed home and ceased
their daily activities.
In South Aceh, a police report stated that two people, one of
them a woman named Srimenanti, were killed by a group of six
gunmen who raided and burned a dump truck at the compound of PT
Hargas Industri Indonesia (HII) at Singgersing village in Simpang
Kiri subdistrict, Aceh Singkil regency, on Tuesday at around 6
p.m., a report issued by Comr. Hari Sutjahjono said.
The gunmen reportedly raped the woman before shooting her,
while another fatality, a company worker named Merlis, was killed
shortly after.
A woman named Raminah, however, survived the ordeal, suffering
a gunshot wound to her thigh and was treated at Simpang Kiri
Community Hospital, the officer stated. (50/edt)