Police vow to protect rebels at congress

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Security authorities in this strife- torn province have vowed to guarantee the safety and security of separatist rebels attending the Acehnese Community Congress (KRA) on April 22.

"We have always been prepared to protect any party who wants to take part in the effort to bring peace and order to the area," Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman said over the weekend.

Bachrumsyah said further security arrangements would be set soon for the congress.

"We'll wait for further instructions but we are ready to secure the congress as well as the planned joint military tribunal on alleged human rights violations here," he said.

State Minister of Human Rights Affairs Hasballah M. Saad also said on Friday that the government would protect the safety of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members attending the youth and student congress next week in Medan, North Sumatra, and the subsequent congress in Banda Aceh.

"The government has invited GAM members to attend the Acehnese Community Congress since their presence is crucial in our effort to collect opinions on how to solve Aceh's problems. We will guarantee their security," Hasballah said.

Meanwhile, local daily Serambi Indonesia published on Saturday its recent investigation into continuing violence against civilians. The report said 22 women from Buket Pidie, Alue Lhok and Seuneubok villages in North Aceh were either sexually abused, tortured or robbed by troops conducting an antirebel raid in the early hours of March 7.

The daily said the women who were harassed or raped were aged between 16 and 32 years.

"The troops said that if I wanted to save my husband I have to give all valuable belonging and then I have to take of my clothes. They threatened to shoot us if we reported this," the daily quoted one of the women, Latifah, as saying.

She and other women filed reports of sexual abuse to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday.

Police reportedly went to the remote villages on Friday to verify details of the incident.

The daily quoted North Aceh Military chief Lt. Col. Suyatno denying any of his personnel were involved.

"It's slander, a smear campaign designed to discredit the military," he said. (50/edt)