Police hunting for five over ex-rebel killing

Police hunting for five over ex-rebel killing

Police were hunting Thursday for five gunmen accused of killing a former separatist rebel in tsunami-scarred Aceh province, in the first violence there since government and separatists signed a peace deal on Aug. 15.

The killing has been reported to international monitors overseeing the truce, which ended a three-decade insurgency that had claimed the lives of 15,000 people, said Aceh police spokesman Col. Joko Turohman.

Officers said they suspected the killers were rebels who had a grudge against the victim, who gave himself up to police in January, he said. Under earlier laws, rebels who surrendered were not imprisoned.

The killing took place on Sunday in front of several witnesses in the west of the province, said Turohman.

The Dec. 26 tsunami killed more than 130,000 people in Aceh province and destroyed much of its infrastructure.

But the disaster propelled the government and separatists back to the negotiating table after several earlier deals collapsed.

Though analysts say hardline elements on both sides of the conflict may try to scupper the latest deal, it is considered the best chance Acehnese have had in years to bring a permanent end to the fighting. -- AP