Govt urged to set up Aceh commission

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)