Travel in Aceh fraught with tension, bribes

Yogita Tahilramani and Edith Hartanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Those living in strife-torn Aceh, particularly outside the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, have known fear all of their lives.

Traveling overland from Banda Aceh to Lhokseumawe, the capital of the North Aceh regency, is a six-hour journey, which is not without danger, either in the form of clashes or gunfights. It is not a good idea to travel at night, unless it is an emergency.

There are no flights from Banda Aceh to Lhokseumawe, a giant industrial town where fatal clashes are commonplace among locals.

The 274-kilometer trip from Banda Aceh to Lhokseumawe is marked by the presence of police and military trucks, as well as a number of police and military security checkpoints.

Upon approaching these checkpoints, all vehicles are required to slow down, otherwise drivers run the risk of being beaten by security officers or getting their cars stoned.

"For some odd reason, it is better if there are women on board because the officers tend to be lenient on passengers then. Carrying only men in the car is a different story," said Hanafiah, a local kiosk owner in Jeunib in Bireun regency.

"The armed security officers would not hesitate to search your vehicle if it was filled with men. Your belongings could just vanish. Carrying a large amount of cash is not a good idea either."

The Acehnese have suffered from psychological stress stemming from a decade-long military operation to rid the province of separatist rebels, mainly those of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Thousands are reported to have been killed, tortured or kidnapped during that period, which ended in 1998.

The nearly empty roads connecting Pidie regency, Bireun and North Aceh are marked with the nation's flag, which flies in front of every house, kiosk and paddy field.

Diro, a local of Pidie, considered one of GAM's strongholds, said the Acehnese in conflict-ridden regencies were asked to hoist the national flag one month ahead of Independence Day on Aug. 17.

"We must show that we are faithful to the unitary state of Indonesia, otherwise we will lose our lives or have our houses burned down. We could be suspected of being a GAM member or sympathizer if we dare defy the order to raise the flag by July 17. People all the way up to East Aceh, which is another conflict zone, have to do the same," Diro told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Many locals said that the flags, lined up in a seemingly unending row, reminded them not of their country, but the dominant military and members of the National Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob), who were often seen sneaking in and out of their houses and their lives.

"They scare us. They may have been here for years but still, if we are in a vehicle and we pass by the checkpoints, we never forget to wave at them. You see, we cannot risk being beaten up or held up at a security checkpoint," Jodi, a local, said on Sunday.

"Once there was a checkpoint in Bireuen. It didn't even look like one since there were no signs. It was more like an old, vacant store that had a big blue sign with a store's name on it. We passed by it, and some officers immediately rushed out to stop our car," added Jodi.

Although Aceh Police chief Insp. Gen. Jusuf Manggabarani may have told legislators in Jakarta that he had convinced his subordinates to ensure the officers at checkpoints do not demand pungli (illegal fees) in exchange for safety from every passing truck, The Jakarta Post witnessed young Brimob officers stopping a truck in front of the Jeunib Police station and demanding money from the driver.

One kilometer from the station, another group of Brimob officers were seen stopping a truck and trying to negotiate a price.

Idi, a resident of Jeunib, said on Sunday that the bribes took up all of a truck driver's daily earnings, but employers did not care about this.