Khatijah -- portrait of violence against women in restive Aceh

Nani Farida The Jakarta Post Lhokseumawe, Aceh

Similar to luck, misery can unexpectedly pop up when one least expects it. In Aceh of late, luck is being overshadowed mercilessly by misery. Khatijah, 31, never could have imagined that in one instant her beloved husband and father of their children would be gone forever.

Lying on her bed at the Cut Meutia General Hospital in the city recently, Khatijah told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview about her traumatic incident when a group of soldiers fired ceaselessly at her, her husband M. Saleh and other relatives while they were harvesting their rice on their farmland in Lubuk Mane, North Aceh on June 8, 2002.

Looking pale and feeling powerless due to serious gunshot wounds to her leg and back, Khatijah said she was suffering more pain from a prolonged headache due to the depression of losing her husband.

"I am suffering an acute headache, not because of these serious wounds but for thinking of my husband, shot to death in front of my eyes along with several other relatives," she said.

She said the incident occurred when a group of soldiers were passing through her farmland on their way from Lubuk Pane to the nearby village of Cot Tungku.

She said the soldiers suddenly began firing their automatic rifles at them when she, along with her husband, nephew Safrida and several other villagers were loading their harvest into sacks to be brought home.

The soldiers continued shooting although all the farmers were flat on the earth until they had successfully damaged a paddy processing machine which she was hiding behind.

"I was trying to wake up my husband but all he could do was say 'Allah Akbar (God is the greatest)' and he closed his eyes forever.

"I then tried to stand up but a bullet ripped through my leg. I knew I was dying when another bullet hit my back... Hours later, I felt a serious pain as doctors at the Cut Meutia Hospital in Lhokseumauwe were pulling the two bullets out of my body," she said.

Safrida, who witnessed the incident, said three soldiers brought the dying Khatijah to the nearby public health center in Phanton subdistrict for medical treatment while Saleh's body was handed over to villagers in Cot Tungku village for burial.

Khatijah expressed her deep concern and hatred of the military for the senseless shooting spree and murders. "I don't know the reasons why the soldiers attacked us and killed my husband. I know nothing about the conflict and have no relation to the separatist movement."

She said she had to shoulder all the sufferings caused by the incident and to take care of her three young children -- M. Jabir, 14, Indra Wardani, 6, and M. Khaidir, 2.

The director of the Aceh Flower Organization, Syamsidar, said Khatijah was only one of dozens of Acehnese women who were shot and tortured this month throughout the province.

He said there were at least 22 reported cases of women who were tortured, abducted or shot in Aceh just last month.

_____________________________________________________ Female victims of violence in May, 2002 _____________________________________________________ Date names location incidents ------------------------------------------------------ May 1 Banun, 40 SE Aceh torture

Yanti, 36 SE Aceh torture

Sumarni, 35 SE Aceh torture May 3 Yuni, 21 North Aceh torture May 6 Juwariyah North Aceh shot May 13 Syamsu, 60 North Aceh torture May 15 Khatijah East Aceh abduction

Halimah East Aceh abduction

Yusdiana East Aceh abduction

Ulidiana East Aceh abduction

Rosnidar East Aceh abduction

Marliah East Aceh abduction

Nursida East Aceh abduction

Halimatussakdiah East Aceh abduction

Yusnidar East Aceh abduction

Dek Nur East Aceh abduction May 17 Martini, 22 West Aceh torture

Yuliani, 25 West Aceh torture

Radiah Latief Aceh Besar shot dead May 23 Nursiah Abd North Aceh abduction May 24 Suryati, 35, North Aceh abduction May 31 Wani, 17 West Aceh abduction Sources: local Aceh media