NGOs slam Brimob over abduction of Aceh students

NGOs slam Brimob over abduction of Aceh students

Tiarma Siboro and Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta/Banda Aceh

Six Acehnese students, mostly activists, have disappeared after
they were taken by officers from the Police Mobile Brigade
(Brimob) from their homes three days ago.

Many have speculated that they were picked due to their strong
opposition to the ongoing martial law and their alleged links
with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Dita Indah Sari, an activist from Aceh-Papua Solidarity (SAP),
said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the five activists, three of them
women, were Harlina (22), Nova Rahayu (23), Nursida (22) from the
Acehnese Democratic Women's Organization (ORPAD) Iwan Irama Putra
from the Linge Students Network (IMPEL) and Syafruddin from the
Student Solidarity for the People (SMUR).

The remaining one was Masrizal, who is reportedly a member of
GAM's military wing. The six were students of Syahkuala
University and Ar-Rainiry Islamic Teaching Institute (IAIN) in
the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh.

"Their whereabouts is unclear after police asserted that they
had not detained any activists or students, whereas according to
eyewitnesses, the six were taken by Brimob personnel from their
own homes in Banda Aceh," Dita said in a joint press conference
with the National Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras), on Tuesday.

"They just staged rallies demanding that the government lift
martial law. The women activists had said that martial law and
the military operation had brought suffering to the people,
especially women, and had not restored security and order in the
resource-rich province," said Dita.

Martial law imposed on May 19, 2003, to quell the separatist
movement with a budget of Rp 1.3 trillion, was extended for
another six months in December with an additional budget of Rp
1.4 trillion. So far, more than 2,000 people believed to be
rebels have been killed and more than 2,500 others have been
arrested or "reeducated" to accept the unitary state of Indonesia
(NKRI).

According to the eyewitnesses, Mazrizal and Iwan were taken
away on Feb. 19, and Feb. 22, 2004 respectively

Several days later, the police picked up Harlina who was
beaten before she was taken into a Kijang minivan. After Harlina,
Syarifuddin was also picked up by Brimob officers.

Meanwhile, the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) in Aceh said that
three activists had already been released, but refused to
identify them.

"We have been appointed to provide legal counsel for them.
Three of them have been released today, but three others are
still missing. I can't say anything else, pending the release of
the others," SAP Coordinator Afrida Darmi said.

The London-based human rights group Amnesty International
condemned the detainment of the six activists, saying that such
arrests were believed to have been conducted "due to the peaceful
expression of their political beliefs and their work in defense
human rights."

"Grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial
executions of both adults and children" have been reported since
the latest offensive was launched in May, 19, 2003, Amnesty said.

"Anyone detained by the police and military in (Aceh) is at
risk of torture, ill-treatment and other human rights
violations," it said in a statement.

The military says it has killed some 1,300 rebels and 2,000
GAM members or sympathizers have been arrested or have
surrendered since then.

In an unrelated development, hundreds of government soldiers
besieged several villages in Simpang Ulim subdistrict, including
Kuta Buloh village where RCTI TV station Fery Santoro and several
hostages are being detained.