Human skeletons found in separate graves in Aceh

Human skeletons found in separate graves in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): A joint team of policemen and military
personnel found eight human skeletons -- some dressed in military
uniforms -- during search operations in Aceh Besar, North and
West Aceh on Saturday, a military source said.

Lt. Col. Ferdinand, chief of Aceh Besar military district
command, said that judging from the fact that the military
uniforms belonged to the Indonesian military (TNI), the skeletons
were likely the TNI members who were killed by the separatists
(GBPK) at the end of last year.

All eight had probably been tortured to death, he said.

"Five skeletons were exhumed from three graves at a hilly area
close to the Sultan Iskandarmuda airport in the Kuta Baro
district, Aceh Besar, some 20 kilometers east of Banda Aceh,"
Ferdinand said.

Last month two skeletons, believed to be victims of the
separatists, were also found in the area.

"One of the skeletons (found on Saturday) was identified as
Chief Corporal Mustari, alias Aseng, who was kidnapped by the
separatist movement members on Dec. 12 1999.

Another skeleton found in the village of Tanoh Mirah, North
Aceh, was identified as Abed Beuransah, deputy speaker of North
Aceh legislative council, North Aceh military district chief Lt.
Col. Suyatno stated. "He was abducted by GBPK members on Sept. 29
of last year for his close ties to TNI."

Two other skeletons were found in the village of Lhok Seumot
in the district of Beutong in West Aceh.

According to chief of operation code-named Operasi Sadar
Rencong, Lt. Col. Satriya Hari Prasetya, the remains were exhumed
from two separate graves.

"One of the skeletons was that of Raja Angkasah, a member of
the Seunagan military subdistrict office. He was kidnapped by
unidentified people in January of this year, while another
skeleton was identified as being Ibnu Amin, a local civilian,"
the police officer said.

Military and police sources said that the search for missing
persons -- including military, police officers and civilians --
would continue.

"There were 69 people -- 11 Army members, 15 policemen and 43
civilians reported missing in January of this year," Bahrumsyah
said.

Also on Saturday, Sergeant Maj. Nanang Hanafiah of Pidie
police subprecinct was shot and wounded in an ambush by a group
of armed men around 10.30 a.m., local police chief Lt. Col.
Endang Emiqail Bagus announced.

"The officer was on his way to the office from his home at
Blang Paseh when a group of armed thugs shot him from behind and
sped off on their motorcycles."

The scene of the incident was just 300 meters away from the
police station. Nanang was rushed to Sigli General Hospital with
a bullet wound in his back.

The incident caused a traffic jam along the Banda Aceh-Medan
route as police officers conducted a sweep of the area hoping to
apprehend the attackers, but to no avail.

Earlier on Friday morning around 5:30 a.m., a junior high
school teacher named Edward M. Amin was abducted by an unknown
armed group near his house at Baru Jaman subdistrict in Mutiara
district, Pidie. (50/51/edt/sur)