Rights group accuses TNI of Aceh abuses

JAKARTA (JP): Amnesty International on Wednesday accused the Indonesian Military (TNI) of rampant violence in Aceh and said that deploying more troops in the province would only worsen the situation.

The London-based group said "the armed opposition also have a responsibility to halt human rights abuses and to immediately instruct GAM (Free Aceh movement) members to stop unlawful killings of soldiers and civilians".

Amnesty's strongest criticism however, was directed at the military. It said that at least 40 -- possibly as many as 70 -- people were reportedly killed by security forces during counter- insurgency operations in Beutong village, West Aceh, on July 23.

The military said the victims were killed in a gunfight, but witnesses said they were massacred.

Jakarta has sent about 1,200 reinforcement troops to Aceh after 41 civilian protesters were killed in North Aceh in May. Some 7,000 more troops will be dispatched to crush the ongoing rebel movement.

Amnesty however said: "in the current climate of impunity, increasing troop numbers, rather than attempting to address the problems in Aceh, will only worsen Aceh's already critical human rights situation."

Amnesty said it had warned in January that human rights violations could escalate if troops were redeployed to Aceh.

"Since then dozens of people have been unlawfully killed, including by troops sent to the province in recent months to resolve the violence," Amnesty said.

Violence has been on the rise in the province, claiming more than 200 lives, including troops and police. The violence has also displaced nearly 100,000 people, who are now sheltering in mosques and school buildings.

"The recent escalation in human rights violations in Aceh, including dozens of extrajudicial executions, disappearances and arbitrary arrests flies in the face of the government's commitments to address human rights problems in Indonesia," Amnesty said.

It also said: "President B.J. Habibie's government has so far failed to bring to justice members of security forces who tortured, disappeared or unlawfully killed thousands of Acehnese during counter-insurgency operations in Aceh from 1989 to 1998.

"The government's failure to address human rights violations in the past sends a message to the security forces that they can continue to kill ... without being held to account."

From Banda Aceh Teuku Umar military commander Col. Syarifuddin Tippe, in response to Amnesty International's allegations, said Wednesday, "it is impossible that TNI could be so cruel."

"What do you think we are, the enemy of the state?"

Regarding the incident in West Aceh, he reiterated the original report of the military that 31 had died despite findings of new bodies.

There was a possibility that the additional victims were killed by the Free Aceh Movement members themselves, Syarifuddin said, citing earlier incidents in which civilians were found dead with severe wounds or were chopped up.

"The reason why people fear the GAM more than the military is that they are more sadistic," he said.

On progress of TNI's efforts regarding the Aceh problem, including the assignment of high ranking officers to the province, he said he had no knowledge of results of the assignment of former Jakarta military commander Sjafrie Sjamsuddin in Aceh.

The military has said Sjafrie, similar to Lt.Gen. Fachrul Razi, who is now the secretary general to the Ministry of Defense and Security, had been assigned to Aceh "to seek input" to solutions to the Aceh problem. A spokesman had then denied rumors that Sjafrie had anything to do with recent atrocities in Aceh. (byg/anr)