Humanitarian pause to Acehnese

Humanitarian pause to Acehnese

It seems that the Humanitarian Pause agreed upon by the
government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) has not been properly honored as activists are
still missing, the burning of homes and markets and the killings
are still going on and the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National
Police (Polri) are continuing their fierce and merciless sweeps,
creating a larger number of refugees. This is a horrible
situation gripping the locals.

Some of these incidents occurred when I was in Aceh recently
and I was made aware of them when I talked to a GAM member, who
spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Members of TNI and the Police Mobile Brigade have allegedly
been involved in clashes. The burning of a police station in
Takengon recently, followed by the murder of a TNI member in
Angkop, did not involve GAM, said GAM commander Tgk. Ilham Ilyas
Leubee, through the chief of the GAM information bureau for the
Linge area. These clashes have claimed victims from among the
locals, especially because TNI conducted round-the-village
patrols afterwards.

It is common knowledge in Aceh that prior to the murder of a
TNI member in Angkop, there was a quarrel between members of TNI
and the Mobile Brigade. This quarrel stemmed from a
misunderstanding as a TNI member thought that a Mobile Brigade
member had insulted him. It is also common knowledge that members
of both TNI and the Mobile Brigade back illegal gambling in
Lampahan, Central Aceh. The TNI member reportedly aimed his
pistol at the Mobile Brigade member saying, "Come on, try this,
pig. This is my turf, you know. Dismissed!"

The GAM commander in chief has also called on TNI and the
Mobile Brigade to stop applying double standards and cruelty in
the context of honoring the Humanitarian Pause. However, he also
said this should not be construed as delaying the secession of
Aceh from Indonesia. He appealed to Indonesia's military and
police forces not to make Aceh a place where they fight each
other.

At present, the Acehnese live in great misery and terror. They
have been subjected to cruelty, robbery, rape and murder,
allegedly committed by Indonesian troops since their arrival here
in 1976.

Now, as a Muslim, I wish to appeal to President Abdurrahman
Wahid to take action to stop the deployment of troops in Aceh.

Mr. President, you are the leader of the Indonesian people and
a true Muslim. Please stop sending troops to Aceh. Let the
Acehnese enjoy a peaceful life without any disturbances from
security forces. They live in great misery and dejection. They
need help. This is no longer a matter of separatism or
disintegration. This is the persecution of fellow Muslims. Do not
let Allah punish all of Indonesia.

Clearly, the Humanitarian Pause is not even close to bringing
peace to the Acehnese as many violations are still being
committed by security forces. To finish, let me quote what the
GAM commander in chief has also said: "What is the result of the
security forces' effort to probe into the disappearance of an
activist? Where is the truth in their statement that they are not
involved in this matter?"

RESI S. YUSUF

Bandung