Govt urged to set up Aceh commission

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights exhorted President B.J. Habibie on Thursday to quickly realize his promise to set up an independent commission to investigate human rights violations in Aceh.

Commission chairman Marzuki Darusman reminded the President not to lose the momentum of his visit to the province in March when he made many promises to the Acehnese.

Marzuki said the proposed commission should not function as merely a fact-finding mission because the Acehnese already knew the facts of the violations. He said they instead wanted to see concrete evidence of the abuses.

"The Acehnese no longer need it (a fact-finding mission). What they need is the enforcement of justice," Marzuki said after meeting with Habibie at his private residence at Patra Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Habibie received guests, including leaders of the Supreme Advisory Council, at his residence on Thursday. Palace officials said the President wanted to avoid traffic jams. It was the first time Habibie remained at home during office hours in the general election campaign of the past two weeks.

"The commission must launch concrete measures, including concrete recommendations to the government," said Marzuki.

On May 24 Minister of Justice Muladi announced the President's approval of the establishment of a special committee to probe human rights violations in the country's westernmost province.

Muladi said the committee would include government officials, Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel and human rights activists.

The local government has also set up a fact-finding team which includes local members of the Red Cross, government officials, students and members of non-governmental organizations to investigate recent violence in the province.

"The independent commission is expected to involve only Acehnese with its formation using bottom-up principles, and not just depending on the government," said Marzuki.

Separately, the Aceh office of the Indonesian Institute of Legal Aid warned the government on Thursday not to stubbornly insist that elections in the province should be held as scheduled on June 7, saying it could trigger more violence and intimidation from the military.

Institute spokesman Rufriadi said many people were apathetic about the elections because they preferred the holding of a referendum on the province's status.

"The military will be more repressive on the pretext that those who boycott elections are antigovernment people," said Rufriadi on Thursday.

"Up to now no less than 5,000 additional personnel have been sent to Aceh just for the purpose (elections)."

TNI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Sugiono earlier warned that TNI would take every step to stop the troubled region of Aceh from seceding from the country.

"Whatever the risks involved, we will prevent Aceh from ever leaving the fold of the Republic of Indonesia," Sugiono said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Antara reported on Thursday that the North Aceh capital of Lhokseumawe was deserted, as many people, especially non-Acehnese, fled to safer areas, including the provincial capital Banda Aceh.

Lhokseumawe is a ghost city at night following rumors that "battles will erupt toward the polling day on June 7", the state news agency reported.

"The prices of all daily needs continue skyrocketing," said Asmawati, a housewife.

In a related development, six elementary schools in Lhoksukon and another in Matangkuli, North Aceh, were set on fire at dawn Thursday by an unidentified group. Eight elementary schools also burned down earlier in Tanah Luas, Makmur and Samalanga in North Aceh, two in West Aceh and three in South Aceh.

Head of Aceh's office of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Syahbuddin, said the burning of the schools inflicted losses of Rp 2.1 billion (US$262,000). (prb)