Truce accords have little effect in Aceh

Truce accords have little effect in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Truce accords implemented in Aceh have
had little effect in stopping the violence as 11 people were
found dead in separate places in disputed Aceh province on
Monday.

Five of the bodies were discovered by residents at two
different locations near Lhokseumawe, the district capital of
North Aceh.

"Three bodies were found near a hotel at Sawang Kupula village
with gunshot wounds while two others were evacuated from
Peusangan district," Teuku Junaidi, an Indonesian Red Cross (PMI)
worker, said.

The five bodies were evacuated to Lhokseumawe General Hospital
where a preliminary examination showed that they had been killed
within 24 hours.

Representatives of the warring sides met in Banda Aceh and
agreed last week to a five-point set of ground rules in a move to
suppress violence, including regular popular consultation between
the field commanders of both security forces and the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM).

Two other bodies were found on a hillside at Gunung Paro, some
30 kilometers away from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh in
Aceh Besar.

"These bodies, however, had already decomposed," Muslim
Tanjung, also a PMI worker, said.

Villagers called in hospital officials who removed them to a
morgue at Zainoel Abidin Hospital here.

Three other bodies were found in East Aceh on Sunday and
evacuated on Monday. The three, identified as M. Saleh, 50, his
wife Mimi, and another man named Yusdar Ibrahim were all
villagers of Alur Gading in East Aceh.

"The couple (Saleh and Mimi) were gunned down at their house
on Sunday, while Yusdar's remains were located at the side of the
street," an eyewitness said.

The 11th dead victim, a GAM rebel named Hamdani, 22, was
killed in an incident around 12 p.m. on Monday at Simpang Usi
village in Mutiara district, Pidie regency.

The Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel were patrolling
the village when suddenly they came across Hamdani, who is a
known rebel.

In Bireun, Batee Timoh village, a joint military-police
operation arrested 26 people following a raid in the area which
left several houses ablaze.

"The 26 people were just being questioned to explain about GAM
activities in the area since their village has been used from
time to time as a rebel base," North Aceh Police Adj. Sr. Comr.
Wanto Sumardi said on Monday.

GAM's Abu Zarkata, however, accused the security forces of
ransacking 25 boats, seven motorbikes and burning peoples' homes.

"I call all local leaders to stop the violence as we will
never stop fighting if the security forces continue to hurt
people," Abu said.

Officer Wanto, however, dismissed the allegations and said
that "there were no reports of such items being seized by the
police".

Director of Yadesa non-government organization and member of
the humanitarian pause monitoring team Abdul Gani Nurdin said the
rebels became aggressive due to Jakarta's statement recently
issued by Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. that "the government
will take stern measures against the separatist movement in
Aceh".

"Mahfud's statement has pushed the rebels to become more
aggressive toward the security forces as they have their backs to
the wall.

"If Jakarta really wants to settle Aceh problem peacefully..
he (Mahfud) shouldn't issue such remarks as it will worsen the
situation and many more will die." (edt/50/51)