Police officer, civilian killed in Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): The almost daily dose of violence which has become a feature of life in Aceh claimed two more victims on Friday when a police officer and a civilian were shot dead in Pidie regency.
Pidie Police chief Lt. Col. Endang Emiqail Bagus said the shooting occurred on the main street near a market located between Simpang Lame and Pante Grueng village in the Sakti district of Pidie regency.
The victims, identified as Sgt. Asmadi of Mila Police Subprecinct and civilian M. Yusuf Husein, were ambushed in the morning by a group of armed men.
"We have made no arrests. The attackers fled the scene right after they sprayed bullets at the victims," Endang said.
Soon after the incident, mayhem struck the surrounding area as some 5,000 residents fled their homes to seek refuge in nearby mosques.
According to several residents, locals were fearful of military and police sweep operations, which usually occur soon after such shootings.
There were also reports that over a dozen buildings were torched.
As of 4 p.m. on Friday fire was reportedly still ablaze in the Simpang Lame market compound. It is unclear who was responsible for starting the fire.
Endang dismissed suggestions that police officers initiated the arson attack as a retaliation measure.
"I don't know anything about the fire. Based on my knowledge, the mobile brigade officers who were there were only to evacuate the bodies," he said later on Friday.
Meanwhile in North Aceh, a military patrol was involved in an exchange of fire with a group of armed men suspected of being separatist rebels.
No fatalities were reported in the shooting at Payo village in the Matangkuli district.
Lilawangsa Chief of Staff Lt. Col. Kusworo said the patrol was checking on reports that an armed group was staging military training in the Blang Pante village which is adjacent to Payo.
When the patrol arrived at Blang Pante it seized a black Taft GT jeep license plate number B-1244 CG and found a 5.56 caliber rifle, an M-16 bullet case and its projectiles, a walkie-talkie and several detonator devices.
"They also found bunkers built in some of the houses there," Kusworo said.
A separate exchange of fire also occured between police and suspected rebels near Cot Rieng village, 20 kilometers south of Lhokseumawe.
North Aceh police chief Lt. Col. Syafei Aksal said one separatist rebel was killed in the crossfire while one policeman and a civilian riding the police truck was injured.
Syafei also said that a Mobil Oil employee was later shot found dead in the village. Suroso, 40, had been kidnapped a day earlier.
Researchers
Meanwhile in Jakarta, the director general for the Bogor-based Center for International Forestry Research, Jeffrey A. Sayer, expressed his concern over the fate of three of its researchers kidnapped on Sept. 11 in southwestern Aceh.
Speaking to journalists after meeting with President Abdurrahman Wahid, Sayer said the center had taken all possible steps to trace the whereabouts of the researchers, including approaching the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
"We are very worried about their safety, and we have even contacted GAM, but their whereabouts remain unclear," Sayer said.
Budiawan Dwi Prasetyo, 34, Atim Gumelar, 24, Hardian, 23, and their guide, Idrusman, 48, were abducted at Ujung Batu village while on their way south to Medan, North Sumatra.
The researchers were conducting a month-long field survey of the province's ecosystem.
"Since the kidnapping we've had to stop all our activities in Aceh," Sayer said.
Separately, the President disclosed that he had assigned his personal envoys to continue negotiations with antigovernment forces in Aceh, including GAM.
In a public dialog after Friday prayers at Baiturrahman Mosque in the Merdeka Palace compound, Abdurrahman reiterated his optimism that his government would be able to resolve conflicts in restive provinces, which include Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya.
"I am convinced that Aceh, Irian Jaya and Ambon will not break away from Indonesia," the President said. (50/51/edt/prb)