Swedish prosecutors visit burned schools in war-torn Aceh

Nani Farida and P.C. Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh/Jakarta

Swedish prosecutors visited Aceh Besar regency on Thursday to see for themselves hundreds of school buildings allegedly burned down by members of separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) at the onset of the military offensive in the troubled province last May.

Accompanied by Aceh Police detective chief Sr. Comr. Surya Darma and Aceh Besar Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Gaguk Supartono, the team studied documents and photographs describing the conditions of the schools before and after their renovation.

At least 607 school buildings were burned down by alleged GAM members at the beginning of the joint operation aimed at, among other things, stamping out the secessionist movement, which has been fighting for independence for the resource-rich province since 1976.

The government has accused the rebels of carrying out a series of terrorist attacks across the country, and pressed Sweden to take firm action against GAM leaders residing in that country, including movement founder Hasan Tiro.

Responding to Indonesian pressure, Sweden sent the team to Aceh to investigate crimes committed by rebels in the province.

They arrived in Aceh on Wednesday to question a number of imprisoned or detained rebels in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

On the first day of investigation, the team questioned several witnesses -- most of whom were GAM prisoners -- at the provincial police headquarters. While carrying out the investigation, the team was accompanied by staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Those questioned on Wednesday included GAM negotiators Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba and Muhammad Usman. They are now serving prison terms up to 16 years in the Banda Aceh penitentiary after the district court declared them guilty of treason and terrorism.

The Swedish investigators are slated to visit the Tanjung Gusta penitentiary in Medan, North Sumatra to interview GAM prisoners before returning to Jakarta on Sunday.

The team is also scheduled to interview Cut Farida, one of two Acehnese women held hostage by GAM for almost seven months before their release in January.

Farida, the wife of an Air Force officer, said the Swedish prosecutors might interview her on Saturday at the National Police headquarters here in Jakarta.

"I told them (detective officers from the Transnational Crime Division) about my experiences as a hostage of GAM," she said.

Meanwhile, 14 rebels in Tamiang have surrendered to the Indonesian Marines overseeing Meurandeh and Telaga Muku areas in East Aceh regency.

According to East Aceh Military District Commander Lt. Cl. Sunari, the 14 rebels, including their field commander Razali alias Risyad, 51, surrendered last week and handed over several riffles, including an AK-47 riffle.

"Within the past few weeks, the rebels have lacked supplies and were forced to eat anything they could find, while hiding in remote jungles," Sunari said.