Police vow to protect rebels at congress
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)