Journalist found murdered in troubled Aceh province
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)