Kostrad chief orders hunt of missing Sudjono

Kostrad chief orders hunt of missing Sudjono

BANDUNG (JP): Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad)
Commander Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah said on Tuesday that he
has ordered two of his intelligence officers to locate the
missing Lt. Col. Sudjono, or else they will have to resign.

"I have ordered the assistant of intelligence in Kostrad and
intelligence chief (in Aceh) to find Sudjono as the key person to
the Aceh case. If they fail to do so, they might as well resign
from their posts," Agus said.

Sudjono, a key suspect and witness in the murder of religious
Islamic teacher Bantaqiah and no less than 57 of his students,
was then the army intelligence chief in Lilawangsa Military
Command overseeing strife-torn Aceh.

The officer has been missing since November. Many have
suspected his disappearance is part of the effort to seal the
involvement of military top brass.

The trial of the Bantaqiah case in Banda Aceh district court
will enter its crucial stage on Wednesday when the panel of
judges issue a temporary verdict for 25 defendants who comprise
24 military soldiers, mostly Kostrad personnel, and a civilian.

"Basically the soldiers can do no wrong. It is the commanders
who have to be held accountable. Therefore I ordered a thorough
search for Sudjono," Agus said.

The defendants are charged with premeditated murder, a crime
which carries a maximum death sentence.

Agus also asserted that Kostrad is ready to be held
responsible in the mass killings if his troops are found guilty.

"As Kostrad commander I'll fight to defend my soldiers. But I
will comply with whatever the court decides," he said.

"If they we are found guilty, I will apologize to the Aceh
people and help the families of the victims," he said.

Agus also expressed his guarded optimism that violence in Aceh
and other troubled territories in the country will be soon over.

In Banda Aceh, provincial authorities and councillors urged
the warring parties to put an end to the violence that has
claimed at least 300 lives this year.

The recommendation was made in the closing of a two day
provincial coordination meeting which ended on Monday.

"We believe that all parties must exercise restraint and that
violence and acts of revenge will not help settle the problems.
We also support the planned Aceh People's Congress (KRA) which is
aimed at speeding up the peace process and restoration of order
in Aceh," Governor Syamsuddin Mahmud told the meeting
participants.

In restive Pidie, security forces reportedly launched an
operation to capture Aceh Free Movement (GAM) rebel leader Tengku
Abdullah Syafi'ie. Details of the operation, however, were not
available.

In Aceh Besar, two police officers, Sgt. Major Adlim and
Second Sgt. Faisal were shot dead by an armed gang in separate
locations on Tuesday morning, spokesman for the anti-rebel
operation Sadar Rencong Col. Safri D.M. said.

Earlier in the day at around 00:05 a.m. an unidentified armed
group threw grenades at the Jambo Aye military subdistrict in
North Aceh, leaving 12 officers injured, Lt. Col. Syafei Aksal
said.

All the military personnel were rushed to Lilawangsa Military
Hospital. The press is banned from entering the hospital.

At about the same time, bomb attacks pounded six places in the
compound of Exxon-Oil company between Tanah Luas district and
Matangkuli district in North Aceh.

No fatalities reported in the incidents. (25/50/51/edt)