Tension mounts as Aceh offensive begins

The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe/Jakarta

Firefights between government troops and separatist rebels marked the first day of martial law in restive Aceh on Monday, leaving at least four guerrilla fighters killed.

Despite the mounting tension, life appeared to be normal in some parts of the resource-rich province, including the capital city of Banda Aceh, with both social and economic activities proceeding as usual.

The military authorities claimed to have shot dead four rebels in two separate clashes in the South Aceh district of Blang Kuala and in the Aceh Besar district of Indrapuri. But no confirmation was obtained from Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels.

Spokesman for the military operation Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki said a joint security force of marines and Police Mobile Brigade were combing Blang Kuala to search for around 20 armed rebels who were hiding in the district. After a skirmish that lasted 30 minutes, three rebels identified as Punut Daud, Azis Firman and Samsuardi were killed.

The clash in Indrapuri earlier in the day claimed the life of a GAM member identified as Jamaludin.

Tension swept through Bireuen as at least 12 school buildings in the regency known as one of GAM's strongholds were torched by unidentified people while rebels and security personnel were involved in gunfights in several areas in the regency. No casualties were reported in the armed clashes.

Several journalists, including The Jakarta Post's reporter, were forced to lay low when two groups of rebels and soldiers were involved in a firefight in Nissam subdistrict in North Aceh around midday.

Two more bodies believed to be GAM rebels were recovered in Banda Aceh and Sigli. The bodies of two people which were recovered in Ulee Le village in Banda Aceh were killed in a gunfight with soldiers while the third body was a 19-month baby who was shot to death by snipers when he along with his parents who suffered serious wounds to their legs was riding in a car to North Aceh.

In Lhokseumawe, another GAM's stronghold, most shops and houses in urban and rural areas along the province's east coastal area were closed in compliance with GAM's call for a general strike. Many people were confused by the declaration of martial law.

"Many people don't understand what martial law means and we don't know what to do to protect ourselves and our families from any attack," 34-year-old Achmad, a resident of Mangeundong village in Lhokseumawe, told the Post.

Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani said until now the military authorities had yet to impose a night curfew on Aceh pending further instructions.

"We believe that following martial law here, some GAM members have removed their military fatigues and are living among the local people.

In the morning, several Hercules C-130 cargo aircraft flew above Lhokseumawe and Banda Aceh, dropping hundreds of soldiers in a move to warn GAM of aerial and naval strikes.

Another military aircraft OV-10 Bronco fired rockets at suspected rebel positions near the area.

A military personnel died in an accident when a warship carrying a battalion of soldiers sunk near the bay along Samalangan subdistrict in Bireun regency. some 176 kilometers east of the capital city of Banda Aceh.

"It was a technical incident as the ship sank due to bad weather. We have yet to identify the soldier but we immediately dispatched the body to Jakarta," Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told the press in Banda Aceh on Monday.

Meanwhile in Medan, TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto instructed soldiers to uproot separatist rebels and put a stop to the movement.

"I hope soldiers will fight it out to crush GAM, but they (soldiers) must remember they should not accidentally shoot civilians," Endriartono, who predicted that the military operation would last about six months.

Endriartono was dispatching to Aceh hundreds of members of the Rapid Reaction Strike Force from Medan's Polonia air base.

Amid the intensifying clashes involving security personnel and rebels in Aceh, Vice President Hamzah Haz said that the chance for the resumption of peace talks remained wide open. But he underlined that it depended on GAM's willingness to drop its quest for independence, to agree to the autonomy status and to disarm.