Swedish prosecutors visit burned schools in war-torn Aceh
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.