TNI blames GAM in mass home burnings

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After 400 schools were set ablaze across Aceh, members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) are targeting residential homes as another guerrilla war tactic, the Indonesian Military (TNI) said on Saturday.

At least 52 houses in the Perlak Timur district of East Aceh regency were set on fire by 30 suspected GAM members on Friday.

The spokesman of the Indonesian Military Operation Command in Aceh, Lt. Col. Yani Basuki, said on Saturday that the torching, the first of its kind since the government launched a massive military offensive in the troubled province two weeks ago, was carried out by GAM members to intimidate residents who were suspected of taking sides with the Indonesian Military or the police.

No fatalities were reported during the incident.

Another 30 armed GAM members burned down on Friday part of the Kayee Uno elementary school in Krueng Sabee district, Aceh Jaya regency, some 220 kilometers west of Banda Aceh, said Yani Basuki.

On the same day, a company of 12 soldiers led by Capt. Amin raided a GAM base in Sawang district, North Aceh regency. During the raid, government troops captured Kahar Muzakkar Abdullah, 34, who is known as the commander of GAM in the Sago Sawang region. The military also seized a GAM flag and documents from Abdullah.

Another top GAM figure captured by TNI on Saturday was Abu Toha, the chief of GAM in the Blang Pidie province. Abu Toha was arrested after a tip-off from locals, said Yani Basuki.

He said a total of eight GAM members were killed on Saturday, while TNI lost one soldier.

GAM members killed on Saturday were identified as Saifuddin, 22, Amir, 27, Mustafa Usman, 18, Irfandi, 22, Nurdin Ishak, 25 and Benny Abdullah, 20.

Yani Basuki also said GAM members had abducted a student, Yani, 16, from Kuta Binjai senior high school in Aceh Timur regency.

Yani Basuki said the student was going home on the back of a pickup truck with 14 other friends when a group of 50 GAM members blocked their path. The 14 students ran away, but Yani was captured.

A motive for the kidnapping has not been established yet.

In a separate development, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Saturday that 68 members of GAM had been charged with subversion.

National Police have also detained dozens of GAM members who have surrendered to authorities, and their cases were being investigated, said Da'i.

The 68 suspects are being held separately in Banda Aceh Provincial Police Headquarters and other police stations throughout Aceh.

The suspects will be charged under Law No. 1/2000 on antiterrorism, which carries the death penalty or a minimum sentence of 20 years in jail, said Da'i.

In Jakarta, a member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), M.M. Billah, said that the commission had established an ad hoc team to monitor and investigate possible human right abuses in Aceh.

The ad hoc team, chaired by Billah, is scheduled to open two grievance posts in Bireun and Lhokseumawe next week.

By opening the posts, the local community is being encouraged to report any cases of human right abuses to the commission, Billah said.

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The TNI arrested the chief commander of GAM's Sagoe Sawang region, Kahar Muzakkar Abdullah, 34. Kahar was captured along with his two aides in a recent raid by TNI. Below is an excerpt from an interview between Kahar and some reporters covering the war in Aceh:

Question (Q): When did you join GAM and why?

Answer (A): I was forced to join GAM last year. I could not refuse, because GAM threatened to kill me and my family. I did not have a choice.

Q: What did you do as GAM's Sagoe Sawang commander?

A: I was in charge of providing logistics for GAM and collecting money from residents, which GAM called "tax funds". I know that this was not right and I regret my actions.

Q: What are you hoping for now that you have been arrested?

A: I pray that God will protect my family. If GAM knew that I surrendered to the TNI during the raid, they might kill them.