Komnas HAM reports rights abuses in Aceh

Tiarma Siboro Jakarta

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) submitted to the government on Friday reports of human rights abuses since martial law was declared last May.

Komnas HAM Chairman Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said that both the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were committing rights abuses in the ongoing war.

"We have monitored the escalating violence in Aceh since May last year and filed reports on a series of rights abuses in the province," Abdul Hakim said after holding a meeting with government officials here.

The government issued a presidential decree in May 2003 declaring a state of emergency in Aceh and imposing martial law, where GAM rebels have been fighting for independence for the resource-rich province since 1976.

It also deployed over 40,000 military and police personnel in the province to fight some 5,000 poorly equipped Acehnese rebels, raising fears of rampant human rights abuses.

"The two warring parties, the TNI and GAM, should be held responsible for rights abuses in the province," said Abdul Hakim, underlining that "regardless of its non-state status, the secessionist movement has violated someone else's rights by holding hostages."

Abdul Hakim said rights abuses in Aceh could be put into five categories -- forced deportation of people, arbitrary arrest, forced disappearances, rapes and extra-judicial killings.

"We will immediately send a team to Aceh to hold further investigations into the reports and we expect to conclude the results in two months," he said.

During the meeting, the government was represented by acting Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Hari Sabarno and TNI Lt. Gen. Djadja Suparman.

"The government took our reports seriously and promised to be cooperative," Abdul Hakim said.

After several months of relative peace, order and stability in the province as a result of an internationally brokered peace pact, President Megawati Soekarnoputri decided that peace was fostering separatism and so declared martial law on May 19, 2003 for an initial six-month period. She, along with the TNI brass, vowed to wipe out once and for all, the GAM secessionist movement in that time, but was forced to extend it for another six months in November after the military admitted it needed more time.

The TNI has claimed that 1,300 GAM fighters have been killed since then, while around 2,300 rebels have surrendered.

Despite the greater number of GAM members captured, the military thus far has confiscated just 1,000 weapons from the rebels, fueling speculation that government troops have been targeting civilians in their purge against members of the separatist movement.

Responding to widespread allegations of rights abuses in Aceh, Komnas HAM set up posts in Bireuen and Lhokseumawe regencies to receive accurate reports directly from the field.

Lhokseumawe is a regency where the Aceh Military Operation headquarters is located, while Bireuen is a regency the military has categorized as a GAM stronghold.