Govt to set up team to probe Aceh massacre

Govt to set up team to probe Aceh massacre

JAKARTA (JP): The government will set up a team to investigate
the recent killing of dozens of civilians in East Aceh following
the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM)'s accusation that the
Indonesian Military (TNI), along with the National Police, were
behind the incident.

"We have discussed the matter this morning and received a
report on the preliminary investigation conducted by the Aceh
Police on what exactly happened in Idi Rayeuk district on Aug.
9," Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Saturday.

Based on the report, the killings were committed by GAM
itself, he said.

"We, however, still need further investigation to clarify the
incident as GAM has denied it is responsible for the killing. GAM
had actually accused the TNI and the National Police of being
behind the killings," Susilo said.

A secret report received by Susilo said that as many as 20
people, not 30 as reported earlier, were shot dead on Thursday by
unknown gunmen at an oil palm plantation owned by PT Bumi Flora
in Idi Rayeuk district, some 80 kilometers south of Langsa, the
capital of East Aceh regency.

The report said the victims were employees of PT Bumi Flora
who reportedly had often been disturbed by the separatist rebels.
The employees had frequently been forced by GAM members to pay
protection money to the movement, Susilo said quoting the report.

According to the report, the massacre occurred after the
guerrillas had tried to force the workers to stage a strike
against the company. When the workers refused, the angry
insurgents then told them to stand in line and shot them one by
one.

The report also said that the gunmen -- believed to be well-
trained military personnel -- were wearing striped camouflage
uniforms resembling those belonging to Malaysian military.

GAM had earlier denied responsibility for the killing and
called for the establishment of an independent team to probe the
case before taking it to an international tribunal should the
investigation find evidence of the involvement of the TNI and
police in the bloodshed.

Susilo, however, questioned GAM's accusations which he said
were "too quick".

"We have yet to start a complete investigation into the case,
but they have already launched a war of opinions. In fact, we are
not only dealing with the case so as to attract international
attention, but we must also provide strong evidence on who
exactly perpetrated the killing," he argued.

"Rather than continuing this argument, let me act
professionally in probing this case," Susilo said. (tso)