Tension mounts as Aceh offensive begins

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.