Teachers targeted in GAM areas

Teachers targeted in GAM areas

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Langsa, East Aceh

The Human Rights Forum (PB HAM) deplored on Monday the continued
violence against civilians, especially teachers, in war-ravaged
Aceh on the eve of the Indonesia-Free Aceh Movement (GAM) peace
talks scheduled for Oct. 31, 2002.

Mohammad Jusuf Puteh alias Neksuh, coordinator of PB HAM, told
The Jakarta Post here on Monday that he had continued to receive
reports of wanton violence against civilians without any
investigations or explanations, from authorities.

He said he had just received a report of two civilians who
disappeared over the weekend and so far, security authorities had
given no explanation.

Ridwan, a 25-year-old resident of Alue Lhouk in Peureulak
Timur, in East Aceh, disappeared after visiting relatives in
Kuala Simpang, Aceh Tamiang, on Oct. 24, 2002. Ahmad, 66, a
resident of Peureulak was abducted by gunmen as he was sitting on
the verandah of his own home.

Neksuh said his organization had received hundreds of reports
of abductions, disappearances and murders, as well as the
discovery of hundreds of bodies in the last ten months.

Another shocking recent report was about a man named Sulaiman,
a resident of Baroh village in Langsa, who was murdered in front
of his children on Oct. 25, 2002 when he was working in his
field. The gunmen fled.

Sulaiman's body was recovered the following day after his
family reported the incident to PB HAM.

Relatives of teachers who were abducted or killed by gunmen in
East Aceh also expressed their disappointment with the
administration for allowing the perpetrators to act with impunity
in the regency.

Irwati Usman, 40, said her brother Irjani Usman, 29, was
abducted on Sept. 9, 2002, and so far, the administration had
paid no attention to the incident.

"We don't know whether he is still alive or not and he has
three children. If he has been murdered, we want to see his
grave. The horrible thing is that the local authorities have been
totally silent about his disappearance," she said.

Irwati said her brother was abducted as he was returning home
from his school where he was a teacher in Langsa.

"According to eyewitnesses, he (Irjani) was abducted by two
gunmen riding a motorcycle. And now he is gone..," said Irwati,
also a school teacher in Langsa.

Neksuh called on the conflicting sides to stop targeting
civilians because they knew nothing about the prolonged conflict.

"Both sides should stop the violence ahead of the planned
peace talks to help create peace in the province. Most people are
sick and tired of this war that has claimed thousands of lives,"
he said.

He admitted that more than 50 teachers had this year been
confirmed murdered. Both the military and GAM deny
responsibility. In GAM strongholds, such as parts of East Aceh,
school curricula is often tailored to include a local view of
history and other subjects.

Nearly all of the civilian victims have been ethnic Acehnese
as a large percentage of the huge numbers of Javanese
transmigrants have fled the province in fear of GAM attacks. GAM
had reportedly targeted the Javanese, but rarely harms local
people unless they are found to be informants.