Shootings mar Aceh disarmament

Shootings mar Aceh disarmament

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh

Several Aceh separatists were shot as GAM began a second round of
weapons decommissioning on Friday as part of a peace deal to end
three decades of fighting in the province.

At least two separatists were wounded by government soldiers
in Puedada district, some 12 kilometers from Idie in East Aceh
regency, said the local spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM), Kafrawi.

He said the shooting took place at about 4 p.m. near a
military post in Peudada. He said the wounded men were taken to a
hospital for treatment.

A GAM member in Banda Aceh who declined to be identified
confirmed the incident.

The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) said it was investigating
the report. A military source confirmed the incident but declined
to elaborate.

In a similar incident on Wednesday, police shot dead one
alleged GAM member and wounded another in Aceh in Jeuram
district, Nagan Raya regency.

Acting Nagan Raya Police chief Comr. Arsyad K.H. said the two
men were fired on when they attempted to run through a police
checkpoint in a stolen vehicle.

The deceased was identified as Safrudin, 30.

The EU-led monitors overseeing the peace deal said they were
investigating the shootings in cooperation with GAM and the
police.

This violence comes as separatists began the second phase of
disarmament on Friday, surrendering at least 128 weapons across
North Aceh regency.

Firearms were turned over at four locations -- Paloh Gadeng
village in Dewantara district, Matang Baroh village in Baktiya
district, Meunasah Masjid village in Meurah Mulia district and
Leubok Reusep village in Nibong district.

The disarmament was also scheduled to take place in Sabang
regency but was canceled for unknown reasons.

In Paloh Gadeng, a total of 52 firearms -- consisting of 15
pistols and 37 rifles -- were surrendered to the AMM.

However, only five of the 15 pistols and 20 of the 37 rifles
were judged by the peace monitors as counting toward the target
set for this latest round of disarmament, the other weapons
apparently no longer being operable.

The rebels also handed over 38 weapons in Matang Baroh, with
fewer than 100 more firearms to be surrendered over the next few
days in East Aceh and Aceh Tamiang.

For the second phase of disarmament, GAM must hand over at
least 210 firearms to the AMM.

A total of 279 firearms were collected from Aceh Besar,
Bireuen and Pidie in the first phase of disarmament in September,
but the AMM disqualified 36 of the weapons.

AMM head Pieter Feith, government officials, military and
police officers and GAM representatives were in Paloh Gadeng on
Friday for the disarmament.

Hundreds of residents watched as the guns were fed into a
circular saw and destroyed.

Both GAM and the military said on Friday they were pleased
with the way the peace deal had gone so far.

Aceh Military chief Maj. Gen. Supiadin Aries Saputra, who was
among those in attendance in Paloh Gadeng, along with Aceh Police
chief Insp. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman, said GAM seemed committed to
implementing the peace accord signed on Aug. 15 in Helsinki.

Under the deal, GAM will hand over its declared arsenal of 840
firearms in four stages before the end of the year, while the
government will pull out of Aceh almost 6,000 troops and 2,000
police officers, or a quarter of its reinforcement troops.

After the second phase of disarmament, more troops will be
withdrawn from Oct. 18 to Oct. 24.

Feith has said the Indonesian government plans to pull out of
the province 1,300 police officers and 6,500 soldiers, including
units from the Army's Kopassus special forces.