Govt urged to react over Aceh finding

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights in Aceh urged the government on Sunday to take necessary measures in response to a new finding of rights violations in the restive province.

Chairman of the commission, Iqbal Farabi, told Antara the finding could serve as the evidence the government required to open a trial on human rights crimes which claimed at least 51 lives in July in Beutong Ateuh subdistrict in West Aceh. Five others are still missing following the incident.

Iqbal said there was no need to look for Indonesian Military (TNI) troops who allegedly committed the fatal shooting of the villagers, because they were just soldiers who followed their superior's orders.

"It is the institution, instead of individual soldiers, which should be held responsible. I think the Lilawangsa Military commander, Bukit Barisan Military commander, (former) TNI chief Gen. Wiranto and former president B.J. Habibie should be among those accountable for the alleged rights abuse," Iqbal said.

An independent fact-finding team, composed of 13 local government officials, nongovernmental organization (NGOs) activists, public figures and students, disclosed in their report on Saturday that there was no evidence a group of military personnel faced resistance when they reportedly resorted to firing bullets on local residents and students of an Islamic boarding school accused of waging a separatist movement and cultivating marijuana.

The school headmaster, Tengku Bantaqiah, was among those killed. Bantaqiah had just returned home three months after completing his jail term at Tanjung Gusta penitentiary in Medan, North Sumatra.

A member of the fact-finding team, Azhary Basar, told a media conference that "there is not sufficient evidence of an opposition staged by Tengku Bantaqiah and his followers".

The report said Bantaqiah and his supporters could have prepared for an armed fight or an escape because local residents had known of the troops' arrival four hours before the shooting spree.

Investigation into the case also found no trace of armed proliferation or paramilitary training allegedly mobilized by Bantaqiah at his Koranic reading school Dayah Babul Mukaramah.

"We did not find any indication of a separatist movement in Beutong Ateuh. In our visits there, the national red-and-white flag was raised in every corner of the poor subdistrict," Azhary said.

The team concluded that security authorities had conducted a false intelligent operation to investigate activities of Bantaqiah and his students.

Azhary said following the bloodshed, certain people arrived in the subdistrict to destroy evidence and contrive their own scenario of the incident.

"The people forced all village heads and hamlets in the subdistrict to issue letters saying they welcomed the death of Bantaqiah and his followers," Azhary said.

Another report, issued by the Independent Commission on Violence in Aceh, another independent team probing the incident, confirmed the human rights violations in Beutong Ateuh.

One of the commission members, Hakim Nyak Pha, said witnesses and evidence were ready to be presented in court. He added the investigation was conducted shortly after the shooting spree.

"It's now up to the government's will whether to bring the case to court or not," said Hakim, who is also a professor of law at the state Syah Kuala University in the province's capital of Banda Aceh.

The spate of violence in Aceh has forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

From Beureunun, near Pidie, Antara reported that at least 200 infants living in a refugee camp there were suffering from malnutrition and diarrhea.

The news agency reported health official Abdul Hamid as blaming the poor sanitation, polluted water supply, power failure and the dense population in the camp for the disease.

Hamid added many adults were facing respiratory problems.

The camp is home to 7,000 displaced people from Geumpang, Tangsa, Tiro and Titeu-Keumala villages. They sought refuge following a wave of clashes pitting separatist group members against military and police troops.

Refugee administrators said the refugees were in need of two tons of rice every day.

"We have tried our best to feed the refugees at least twice a day. But we still cannot afford to provide them with nutritious food," an official, Ilyas, said. (amd)