Fresh violence leaves 22 dead

Fresh violence leaves 22 dead

JAKARTA (JP): On the eve of separate visits by President
Abdurrahman Wahid to Aceh and Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri to Maluku, fresh violence erupted over the weekend
in the two areas, leaving at least 22 people dead.

Four people died in Aceh during an exchange of fire between
police and Aceh separatist rebels as security forces continued
their counter offensive against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

But the weekend's worst violence occurred when a clash
occurred on Haruku Island, just east of Ambon, Maluku, on Sunday
morning.

Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela said on
Sunday evening that 18 people had died with over two dozen more
injured.

Sources at Saparua Hospital, however, said 25 people had died.

The victims had been evacuated to the hospital from Sameth and
Haruku villages on Haruku Island after a two-hour boat ride to
Saparua Island.

The victims reportedly suffered wounds from homemade bombs and
guns.

While the situation on the island is still sketchy, dozens of
homes were torched. While there were reports of up to three
churches damaged, only one could be confirmed.

The cause of the escalating violence is unknown but many feel
it is a continuation of the religious clashes which have occurred
on the Maluku islands for the past year.

Tamaela could not reveal the cause of the latest incident,
saying only that a village, Haruku Samet, was suddenly raided
just after dawn.

He said due to the ferocity and large number of people
involved in the attack, local security forces were unable to stop
the violence.

"By about 10 a.m. reinforcements had arrived to help calm the
situation," Tamaela remarked.

The latest outbreak comes less than 24 hours before Megawati's
arrival in Tual, southeast Maluku, and Ambon on Monday.

Megawati has been requested by the President to return to
Maluku which has be wracked by conflict since January last year.

Religious clashes broke out in Ambon and escalated throughout
the area, leaving over 2,000 dead.

Both Abdurrahman and Megawati visited Ambon in December. Their
arrival, however, apparently failed to sooth ill-feelings as the
religious violence spread to Halmahera island after Christmas.

Tamaela refused to speculate whether the latest violence on
the tiny island was aimed at jeopardizing the Vice President's
visit to Tual, which is about 550 kilometers southeast of Haruku,
and Ambon.

"I don't want to speculate or play with hypothetical
suggestions," he said.

"What's sure is that we will be looking into it very
thoroughly," he said, adding that aside from a minor incident in
Ambon the rest of Maluku was clam.

He said forces had conducted massive security sweeps in Ambon
in anticipation of the visit.

Antara reported that the weekend sweep had netted 23 modified
mortar shells, four homemade pistols, four homemade rifles, 165
arrows and six Molotov cocktails.

Meanwhile, officials and residents in Tual were busy making
final preparations to welcome the Vice President.

Due to its rather remote location in the middle of the Banda
Sea, Tual does not receive many visits from state officials.

"The people of southeast Maluku are just longing to have Vice
President Megawati Soekarnoputri visit," said southeast Maluku
regent Husein Rahayaan on Sunday.

"It's been 45 years since Pak Hatta came here. Since then
there has not been a single visit by a head of state," he said
referring to Muhammad Hatta who served under Megawati's father as
Indonesia's first vice president.

Aceh

In Aceh, the weekend was filled with several gunfights, mostly
involving the National Police's Mobile Brigade and separatist
rebels.

The rebels were unrelenting in their ambush of military and
police personnel, while police on the other hand continued to
step up operations against suspected GAM strongholds.

The raging shootout does not appear to be subsiding, despite
the President's planned visit to the province on Tuesday.

Abdurrahman is due to visit Sabang and Weh island off the
northern tip of Sumatra in an apparent move in his overall plan
to placate the hearts of Acehnese who are steadily calling for
independence.

Abdurrahman has said that he would prefer greater autonomy in
the province but would not allow it to break from Indonesia.

Gunfights were reported in two separate locations in East
Aceh, leaving an officer and three alleged rebels killed.

Sgt. Junjungan Sirait was killed when rebels ambushed a police
patrol in Idi Rayeuk district on Sunday morning.

Sirait's colleague, Sgt. Asrul, survived with gunshot wounds,
Aceh Police spokesman Lt. Col. Sayed Husaini said.

"The attack took place about 10 a.m. on Sunday. The attackers
quickly fled the scene and disappeared into the bush," he said.

Earlier, at about 2 a.m., rebels also ambushed a joint
military and police patrol near Alur Teh village in Bireum Bayeun
district.

Sayed claimed three rebels died in the gunfight, which lasted
about 15 minutes.

He identified the three dead as Ahmad Al-Waladi, 25, a
resident of Bireum Bayeun, Bachrumsyah, 50, a resident of Tumbang
Langsa village and 50-year-old Tengku Ismail Ali of Aramiyah
village.

"The three men were hit in the exchange of fire," Sayed said,
adding that their bodies would be taken to their respective
villages.

Sayed claimed that during the ensuing security sweep of the
area, officers succeeded in confiscating a homemade gun, two
walkie-talkies, handcuffs, 16 rounds of ammunition, a map and a
photograph of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) military commander Tengku
Abdullah Syafi'ie, along with three GAM flags and a number of
documents.

Security forces last week began raids on rebel strongholds
with the aim of capturing Syafi'ie.

The latest series of violence over the weekend brought the
death toll to at least 70 in the first three weeks of the new
year. (49/50/51/edt/jun)