JSC to help stop rampant extortion in Aceh

JSC to help stop rampant extortion in Aceh

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Joint Security Committee (JSC), supervising a peace accord
between rebels in Aceh and the government, said it would help
stop the widespread extortion in the province.

Elements of the Indonesian security forces and Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) separatists have been implicated in extortion
rackets, including demanding money from truck drivers, the JSC
said.

GAM and the Indonesian government had agreed the action was
illegal and must be stopped, it said.

"The JSC is mandated under the COHA (Cessation of Hostilities
Agreement) to prevent particular acts of extortion/illegal
charges," the committee said in a press release on Tuesday.

It said people coming forward to report extortion by members
of GAM or Indonesian troops were almost unheard of before the
signing of the peace agreement.

"Ninety instances of extortion have been reported to the JSC,
12 this past week and a high of 32 reports the week before."

But the reported cases indicated the level of extortion and
illegal levies had fallen and were less severe now than they were
before the signing, JSC said.

Still, "it's commonly accepted that the problem has been so
rife throughout Aceh for so long that it's part of the social
fabric."

Extortion and illegal levies have become common as armed
groups occupy towns, villages and the roads linking them.

Obvious victims are truck drivers transporting valuable
commodities inside the natural-resource rich province.

Aceh's rich natural resources lends to a variety of industries
with commodities ranging from oil and gas to fishery and forestry
products, including illegal logs.

Drivers have complained about soldiers and police officers
demanding money or taking cargo from their trucks.

Military or police posts are located along most highways in
Aceh. Companies often provide their truck drivers with extra
money so that they can bribe their way through.

To address the problem, the JSC plans to investigate reports
of extortion and illegal levies. Following a compilation and
analysis of the data, it would publish the result, it said.

The JSC consists of representatives of GAM, the government and
the Swiss-based non-government organization the Henry Dunant
Centre (HDC).

The HDC spokesman in Aceh, Steve Daly, said it hoped to inform
the public about such violations of the peace accord and entice
them to report cases of extortion and illegal levies.

The committee would then attempt to sanction those found
guilty, he added.

"The spirit of this (project) is that extortion is a big
problem," Daly told The Jakarta Post.

The JSC said the impact of the extortion was significant as it
eroded the trust of the population towards both parties.

Building trust is part of the committee's work. The peace deal
has managed to reduce the level of violence in an important first
step towards building lasting peace.

Continued sporadic violence in the first month after the
signing has already dampened confidence in both camps.

Coordinating Minister for Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono has threatened to withdraw from the pact unless GAM
refrains from attacking Indonesian troops.

The bodies of three GAM members believed to be killed by
Indonesian soldiers were discovered this week.

GAM has been fighting for independence since 1976. The ensuing
war has claimed more than 10,000 lives, mostly civilians.

Rights groups have accused both sides of human rights
violations.