JSC blamed over extortion in Aceh

JSC blamed over extortion in Aceh

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh/Jakarta

Acehnese people have lambasted the Joint Security Committee (JSC)
enforcing the cessation of hostilities agreement in Aceh, for its
failure to stop the rampant extortion committed both by the Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) and security personnel.

Jamil, a 59-year-old retired teacher, expressed his
disappointment both with the Henry Dunant Centre facilitating the
peace process and JSC, because although the Acehnese people had
lodged hundreds of extortion cases to be followed up, none had
been investigated thoroughly so far.

"We are disappointed because we hoped for too much from the
HDC and JSC," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Jamil disclosed that GAM had imposed both legal and illegal
levies upon the people to raise funds by force to support its
personnel and logistics.

"GAM rebels collect taxes at night. Many people have been
beaten for their failure to pay their taxes to GAM," he said,
saying he had just paid Rp 300,000 in taxes to GAM.

He added that GAM had collected taxes since 1998.

Syaifuddin, a truck driver living in the city, backed up
Jamil's story and said the extortion of drivers and bus owners
was a common sight along the highway connecting Banda Aceh and
Medan, the capital of North Sumatra.

"They take our money by force and intimidation, and those who
refuse to hand over money are beaten with guns," he said.

Many groups of Acehnese people have staged several
demonstrations already at the HDC and JSC headquarters in the
city to protest these legal and illegal levies imposed on them.

On March 3, two JSC members were injured and three cars were
burned in Takengon, Central Aceh, when hundreds of local people
ran amok while protesting JSC's failure to follow up their
reports on GAM's widespread extortion of residents in the
regency.

Hundreds of residents of Timang Gajah, Central Aceh, are still
taking refuge in a mosque in the city, and refuse to return to
their home village following the unchecked extortion by security
personnel deployed in the village.

Tengku Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba, representing GAM in the JSC,
conceded that GAM had collected taxes from the people to purchase
arms.

"If the Indonesian government is allowed to collect taxes from
the people, we have the same authority to do so," he said.

He, however, said GAM would take action against those members
who imposed illegal levies on the Acehnese.

Brig. Gen. Safzen Nurdin, representing the government in the
JSC, admitted the involvement of security personnel in the
extortion scheme, but said it was difficult to monitor since the
activity was committed along the highway.

"The Indonesian Military leadership has ordered the chief of
operations to restore security here and to take strong measures
against security personnel taking money from the people," he
said.

JSC Chairman Maj. Gen. Tanungsuk Tuvinan admitted that JSC did
not have the authority to impose any strict action against both
sides breaching the peace deal.

"It is very difficult for us to seek evidence on the extortion
and the imposition of strict sanctions against those violating
the agreement should be entrusted both to the military and GAM
leadership," he said.