Military arrests wives of GAM suspects
Military arrests wives of GAM suspects
A'an Suryana The Jakarta Post Lhokseumawe, Aceh
The Indonesian Military (TNI) is trying all means at its disposal to locate and capture Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels, including arresting the wives of suspected separatists.
The wives of eight alleged GAM rebels spent 24 hours at the Central Aceh Military Headquarters for questioning before they were released on Saturday.
Maj. Indra Nasution, chief of the Airborne Battalion operating in the regency, said the women were arrested in Permata district while they were returning to their respective villages from a refugee camp.
Indra said one of the women was the wife of Muzakkir ben Abdul Manaf, the commander of GAM's armed wing.
"She is the fourth wife of Muzakkir," said Indra.
Six of the women have been identified as Yurnidan, the wife of Rasidin; Samiah, the wife of Muda Sedang; Nuraini, the wife of Syamsul; Latifah, the wife of Awaludin; Ratifah, the wife of Aregan; and Anisah, the wife of Abdurrahman.
The seventh is Muzakkir's fourth wife. Indra refused to disclose the identity of the eighth wife.
He declined to provide details of the substance of the questioning.
"We are still looking for their husbands," Indra said.
During the questioning, the women claimed they knew nothing about the separatist group. They also told the military officers they had never take up arms against government troops.
Earlier on Saturday, military personnel shot dead a suspected GAM member in the swampy Alu Dua area in Nisam district, North Aceh.
The soldiers also found several documents and other property they said belonged to GAM members in the area.
First. Sgt. Mudji Utama said some 15 TNI troops under his command went to the area in the wee hours on Saturday after receiving a tip-off from local residents about the presence of GAM members there.
The soldiers were preparing an ambush when five suspected rebels, each carrying a rifle, approached on three motorcycles heading toward nearby Semirah district.
"There was a gunfight, and one was shot dead but the others got away," Mudji told The Jakarta Post.
The troops seized ammunition, a small machete bearing "TNA" (GAM National Army), a photo album depicting GAM military training, two green berets with the Atjeh-Sumatra National Liberation Front logo, a large GAM flag, several GAM badges and several green military-type uniforms.
The troops also found several documents that spelled out the command structure of GAM and GAM laws. The documents were signed by Muzakkir Manaf.
In Lhokseumawe, military authorities expelled on Saturday freelance Japanese photographer Takagi Tadatomo from the troubled province for violating an Aceh martial law administrator decree that limits foreigners from entering Aceh.
Tadatomo, who was arrested in Aceh early Friday morning, had been grilled by the Bireuen Police since his arrest, and was transferred to Lhokseumawe immigration office later in the day.
After a brief investigation by immigration officers, it was declared that Tadatomo had not violated any immigration regulations.
"However, he must leave Aceh as he does not possess a permit to enter Aceh issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Aceh martial law administrator," Misli, a local immigration officer, said.
Tadatomo was then transported to Polonia Airport in Medan in the neighboring province of North Sumatra, where he was scheduled to meet with the Japanese consul in Medan. He was accompanied by Lhokseumawe immigration chief Deddy Oesmanda.
"Takagi is free to travel around Indonesia, except for Aceh," Misli added.
The 25-year-old Tadatomo was arrested while taking pictures of refugees in a camp in Bireuen regency.
The authorities have also detained U.S. journalist William Nessen, who surrendered to the military on Tuesday after spending more than one month with GAM rebels.