Police pledge to restore order in troubled Aceh
Police pledge to restore order in troubled Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen.
Bachrumsyah Kasman launched on Tuesday the third phase of a six
month police operation, dubbed Sadar Rencong III, to help restore
order in the restive province.
The move comes despite a reported cease-fire offer by
separatist rebels from Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
"Our prime objective is to restore law and order in Aceh.
We will impose repressive action in this operation towards any
party instigating unrest," Bachrumyah told journalists at his
office Tuesday noon.
"The (operation) target is to track down 800 armed civilians
and rebels. Their whereabouts has been determined and we know
their identities," Bachrumsyah said.
According to him, police have been assembling data for some
time on the identities of these rebels and armed civilians whom
he described as gangs of criminals and hoodlums.
He pledged that police and military will continue to stage
security sweeps and raids on rebel bases. He said police also
remained confident of apprehending GAM military commander Tengku
Abdulah Syafi'ie.
Bachrumsyah assured residents in the province that police
would be extremely discriminate in tracking down the people on
the wanted list, and those who have no connection should not be
fearful of the operation.
"We are here to bring back peace, not to frighten people," he
said.
According to Bachrumsyah the second phase of the Sadar Rencong
operation which lasted from May 1, 1999 to Jan. 31, 2000,
resulted in the deaths of 111 rebels and armed civilians. He
added that 185 people had also been arrested.
Police and military forces lost 107 men with 26 missing. Out
of the dead, 57 were policemen.
Meanwhile, violence continues to rock the province.
Security forces raided Ulee Gle village in Tanah Jambo Aye
district, North Aceh on Monday afternoon.
The one fatality was identified as Abdul Hamid, age 40. Three
locals, believed by police to be members of GAM, were also
arrested during the operation
Meanwhile in South Aceh, Abidin A.S, 53, the Kuta Buloh II
subdistrict chief in Meukik district was shot dead in his house
Monday night by an unidentified gang.
There were no details of the incident. (50/edt)