Three civilians, soldier die in fierce Aceh fight
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Four people, including an Army private, were killed during a violent conflict in East Aceh, the military and witnesses said on Friday.
A group of men armed with sharp weapons attacked Pvt. Barus and Pvt. Basri in Alue Patung village on Thursday, East Aceh Military chief Lt. Col. Deni K. Irawan said.
"Both soldiers were riding on a motorbike when the armed men intercepted them
"Pvt. Barus died instantly but Pvt. Basri managed to grab his gun and kill three of the attackers," Deni said, adding that Basri's left arm was severed in the attack.
According to Deni, the three attackers killed in the incident, identified as Yusri Abdullah, 23, Yulidan Yusuf, 20, and Ramli Musa, 27, were members of the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Pvt. Barus is the first soldier killed since a three-month humanitarian pause to the fighting in Aceh was implemented on June 2.
Witnesses, however, gave a different version of the clash. They claim the incident was sparked by a dispute between the two soldiers and a group of rubber plantation workers in the village.
Shortly after the incident, dozens of soldiers from the Rajawali Unit conducted a sweep of the village and apprehended three locals, identified as Thaib Ansari, 18, Syaiful, 20 and Amir Ben, 21.
According to the head of the Seumapak non-governmental organization, Ibnu Sakdan, the three were brought to Botren military camp, located about 150 kilometers west of the East Aceh town of Langsa.
"We fear for their fate as Botren is said to be one of the most ruthless camps in Aceh," Ibnu said.
GAM spokesman Abu Khalifah claimed the three men killed in Thursday's fray were villagers who were retaliating after being extorted by the soldiers.
The incident brought the death toll to 62 since the signing of a peace accord between the government and GAM in Geneva on May 12. Over 400 people have been killed in Aceh this year.
Pause
Separately, the Indonesian representative in the Joint Forum between the government and GAM, Hassan Wirajuda, said here he has agreed to extend the humanitarian pause in Aceh at the end of the original three-month period.
"From the beginning, the three-month pause was only meant as a periodic evaluation that could be extended if needed," Wirajuda told journalists on the sidelines of a ministerial visit to Banda Aceh on Friday.
"I think the desire (to extend the pause) also comes from GAM. Therefore, both sides will meet on Sept. 2 and evaluate the implementation of the pause," he said.
Wirajuda claimed there has been a significant decrease in the number of conflicts between security forces and GAM during the humanitarian pause.
"The clashes have declined in quantity. As far as I'm concerned, the situation is improving. But stopping it (the violence) all at once will take some time," Wirajuda remarked.
He also said the Joint Forum had recorded several violations of the humanitarian pause by GAM, such as the attack on members of the National Police's Mobile Brigade in Nisam district, North Aceh, on July 2, which left three officers dead.
"In every case, both sides have to correct their wrongdoings and work it out together," he added.
Meanwhile, seven ministers, led by Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Basri Hasanuddin, visited the province on Friday to hand over the first donation from the government, worth billions of rupiah, since the humanitarian pause was signed.
"The donation is aimed at helping the people of Aceh who suffered in the past. The government hopes to create a new Aceh, free from conflict," Basri said in his speech after symbolically handing over the donation.
He said besides humanitarian measures, all issues related to legal violations should be handled by the government according to existing laws.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP)'s Indonesian representative, Ravi Rajan, who also attended the ceremony, said UNDP had prepared a donation worth US$100,000 for Aceh.
"The donation will be disbursed immediately," Rajan said. (50/edt/jun)