NGOs protest arrests of activists in Aceh

JAKARTA: A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) protested on Wednesday the arrest of two humanitarian workers by security personnel in Aceh last week, on the suspicion that the two were members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Usman Hamid, a representative of the NGOs, said after filing a complaint with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Wednesday that the authorities had no right to arbitrarily arrest activists in Aceh, or any other part of Indonesia.

Koesparmono Irsan, a commission member, said that he would phone the Aceh Police chief and go to National Police Headquarters to settle the case.

Security personnel arrested Asnawi and Fahrizal from the Aceh Humanitarian Volunteer Association (Pemraka) last Friday, the first arrest of civilians since the martial law status was downgraded in May.

The arrest of the aid workers followed another arrest of a civilian environmental activist, Bestari Raden, who is still being detained for his alleged involvement with GAM. --JP