Military says 15 GAM members killed
Military says 15 GAM members killed
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe
The Indonesian Military (TNI) claimed on Saturday that it had killed 15 members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and arrested four others during Saturday's battle in Pidie, East Aceh, Aceh Besar and North Aceh regencies.
Martial Law administration spokesman Col. Ditya Soedarsono said three GAM members also surrendered to security authorities on Saturday, the 55th day since martial law was declared in a bid to stamp out GAM and its struggle for independence.
Separately, a group of Mobile Brigade police (Brimob) shot dead Abdurrahman Adam, alleged to be a GAM leader in charge of Peusangan district in Bireuen regency, at a house located in Barat Layan, Jangka district, on Saturday.
Since the heightening of hostilities began on May 19, the official government data shows that a total of 432 GAM members have been killed, 340 arrested and 334 others surrendered to authorities.
Security authorities said earlier that GAM, which has been fighting for independence for the resource-rich province since 1976, had around 5,000 armed members. Over 10,000 people, mostly innocent civilians, have been killed since the 1970s.
From the government side, the casualty figures released show that 31 soldiers and police personnel have been killed, and 121 others injured, Ditya said.
Also on Saturday, spokesman Lt. Col. Achmad Yani Basuki said in Lhokseumawe that the TNI had seized thousands of rounds of ammunition belonging to GAM.
Interestingly, the ammunition originated in Jakarta, not from Thailand, where the TNI says most of GAM's weapons and supplies usually transit from.
A military officer said they had traced the route of the ammunition which was sent from PT Abadi Sentosa, located in East Jakarta. The company initially sent the ammunition to a man by the name of Herman, who used to live in Medan, the capital of neighboring North Sumatra.
He added that a Fuso truck was used with plate number BL 9350 BT, to transport the supplies to a material shop in the Ule Glee area, Meuredu district in Pidie regency, belonging to someone named Sulaiman.
Sulaiman, however, said that he had never ordered the bullets, so he reported the smuggling attempt to local authorities on Friday.
Meanwhile, in Lhoksemauwe, prosecutors demanded a military tribunal to sentence a soldier to four years in jail and dismissal from military service for rape in Aceh.
The jail demand was just a third of the maximum sentence for rape -- 12 years -- as stipulated in the country's Criminal Code.
"The defendant is guilty of raping three women," Prosecutor Maj. Achmad Dendy told the court, presided by Judge Maj. Adil Karo-Karo.
The defendant was accompanied by military lawyer W. Okianto.
According to Achmad, the defendant, identified as Pvt. Seprianus, had tarnished the image of the TNI and could jeopardize the ongoing military operation in Aceh.
Achmad acknowledged that Seprianus's participation in the Seroja military operation in East Timor and in the military operation in Aceh were two mitigating factors in his decision to call for the light sentence.
Indonesia launched the Seroja operation from 1975 through 1976 to take over the former Portuguese colony East Timor, located in the eastern part of Timor island.
The operation ended with the annexation of East Timor but the territory voted for independence in 1999 in a United Nations- sponsored referendum.
Seprianus, along with Pvt. Husni Dwila, were accused of raping three women on June 20, 21 and 22. Another soldier, Pvt. Awaludin, is accused of raping a woman on June 21.
Husni and Awaludin are being tried in separate trials, but prosecutors have yet to present their sentence demands.
The trial was adjourned until Tuesday to hear the defense statements.