Journalist found murdered in troubled Aceh province

JAKARTA (JP): A journalist was found hacked to death in North Aceh, a report said on Sunday.

The body of Supriadi, 34, a writer for Medan Pos, a newspaper based in the neighboring North Sumatra province, was found on Thursday in Bukit Hagu village in North Aceh with his head almost severed, Kompas daily reported.

The victim's wife, Poniyem, told the daily that Supriadi was picked up by two unidentified men on Monday and had not returned since.

Police could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

Kompas quoted the chief editor of the Medan Pos, Ibrahim Sinik, as saying the victim had, among other things, worked on stories of corruption in an agricultural project for small farmers, as well as education and development in the province.

It was not known whether any of his reports, including on the current volatile situation, were linked to his death.

On the same day in Banda Aceh reporters met with Aceh police chief Col. Bahrumsyah, who said he hoped for "constructive criticism" from the media.

Meanwhile, a witness said that security personnel shot a man dead and injured another as the two, riding on a motorcycle, were fleeing an identity card road check in the North Aceh capital of Lhokseumawe on Saturday.

The witness told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that Mulyadi Abdullah, 20, died on the way to the Lhokseumawe General Hospital.

"Mulyadi was shot in the back and the bullet went through his stomach," the witness said, adding that the identity card check was held in the Cunda area near the Lido Graha Hotel.

Meanwhile, a local human rights activist said on Sunday that at least six people were still detained at North Aceh Police Headquarters following the disappearance of a police chief on Thursday.

Yakob Hamzah of the Iskandarmuda Legal Aid Institute said that at least 76 others were released on Saturday.

Rights activists have said that at least 82 people were arrested following the disappearance of First Lt. M. Diah, head of Tanah Luas Police subprecinct.

Police accused members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) of kidnapping Diah.

Aceh has seen a sharp resurgence in violence between soldiers and GAM supporters.

At least 223 people have been killed in the conflict since May. Hundreds of buildings, including schools, have also been set on fire and some 100,000 people have fled their villages in fear.

Soldiers were accused of widespread human rights abuses during a decade of military operations in Aceh which were halted last year. (byg)