GAM troops told to comply with newly signed pact

GAM troops told to comply with newly signed pact

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Commander of the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) separatist group Tengku Abdullah Syafiie has ordered his
troops to comply with the newly signed pact with the Indonesian
government and "to seriously make an effort to end violence in
the strife-torn province.

"Both GAM and the Indonesian security forces must jointly
restrain themselves and respect Saturday's pact," Abdullah
said in a statement on Sunday.

"Not only GAM but also all the Indonesian Military
(TNI)/police leaders must be able to control their troops and
discontinue military operations in villages," said Abdullah, a
rebel leader who has not made any statements for quite some time.

Abdullah, who resides at the rebel camp in Jiem-Jiem jungle in
restive Pidie regency, also expressed confidence that his troops
would not violate the pact.

Both Indonesian and GAM envoys announced on Saturday a new
four-point code of conduct to reduce violence in Aceh that would
be effective for 10 days from Feb. 11.

Abdullah's statement was issued amid continuing violence on
Sunday in which five people were killed despite the new pact.

Police's Cinta Meunasah Operation spokesman Sr. Comr. Kusbini
Imbar said three rebels were shot dead in a military operation on
Sunday in Simpang Peut village of Bayeun district in East Aceh.

"The three were GAM members later identified as Abdul Muthalib
bin Amin, known as the rebel leader of the village, along with
Alidin bin Dahlan and Amri bin Musa," Kusbini said.

The officer said that patrolling military troops passing the
village were ambushed by rebels at about 8 a.m.

But a rebel spokesman in East Aceh, Ishak Daud, said that only
one of the victims was a guerrilla while the other two were
villagers.

In another incident, rebels attacked a police station in Idi
Rayeuk, East Aceh, on Sunday.

"The blitz took place for about two hours and eight grenades
were thrown by rebels with launchers. Five grenades exploded but
no casualties were recorded," First Insp. Imam Suhadi, the
police's Mobile Brigade commander in Idi Rayeuk, said.

Separately in Banda Aceh, police officer First Brig. Dalmi
sustained gunshot wounds after gunmen sprayed bullets at him in
Kampung Baru market on Sunday afternoon.

Also on Sunday, two civilians identified as Samsul Bahri, 18,
and Sulaiman Ali, 21, were found dead with severe stab wounds in
Cot Tufah village in Bireun regency, said A.R. Djuli, a local
human rights activist.

The raging violence took place just before two GAM
representatives left on Monday for a two-day meeting with their
Indonesian counterparts in Switzerland.

Talks are expected to start on Wednesday to discuss a possible
extension of their one month "moratorium on violence".

The one-month moratorium, due to expire on Thursday, was
reached after the two sides entered a six-month-long shaky truce
in June last year, in an effort to reduce violence in Aceh.

On the same day that the pact was signed, Saturday, alleged
rebels launched a predawn attack at about 5 a.m. on a police post
in Tanjung Pineung village in Seuneudon district of North Aceh
with grenade launchers, automatic weapons and hand grenades.

Three policemen and four civilians were injured in the initial
assault on the post, which was heavily damaged, Abdullah said.

"We hope that no such incident will reoccur. The attack took
place due to arrogant actions by security forces," he said.

More than 120 people have died in Aceh during continuous
violence in the province this year.

Under the new pact, both sides have agreed to halt violent
actions which cause loss of life or damages people's livelihoods.
(50/edt)