TV journalist Ersa found dead in East Aceh

TV journalist Ersa found dead in East Aceh

The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh/Lhokseumawe/Jakarta

Exactly six months after being taken hostage by the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM), journalist Sory Ersa Siregar was killed in
crossfire on Monday in East Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

Journalists were still waiting for access to Ersa's body at
Lilawangsa Military Hospital in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, late
Monday.

The condition and whereabouts of his colleague, cameraman
Ferry Santoro, is unknown. Both were employed by private
television station RCTI, which has confirmed the report. They
were taken hostage with two military officers' wives and other
civilians on June 29.

The deputy chief editor of RCTI, Atmadji Sumarkidjo, said
Ersa's body would be flown to Jakarta on Tuesday and handed over
to his family in Tangerang, Banten.

The military and GAM gave differing times and circumstances of
the death of Ersa, who turned 52 while in custody on Dec. 4.

Aceh Military Operations Commander Brig. Gen. George Toisutta
said Ersa's body was found apart from the body of a GAM member,
following a 20-minute shootout at around 12:30 p.m. He said it
involved 13 marines and GAM fighters in the Alue Matang Aron
village in Simpang Ulim district, East Aceh.

"The crossfire occurred in a swampy area where vision was
limited, sometimes down to 10 meters ... it was hard to identify
targets," George told a press conference in Lhokseumawe.

Ersa was found with gunshot wounds to the neck, chest and
legs. GAM spokesman Sofyan Daud said Ersa "was killed by the TNI
(Indonesian Military) in a raid today (Monday) at 4 p.m. in East
Aceh ... A few days ago he was shot in the leg in a TNI raid."

Toisutta quoted doctors as saying that there was a wound of
about two to three weeks old on the left knee and right leg.

Toisutta said the incident involved the marine's Flores and
Dwipangga teams of Battalion 6 led by First Lt. Samson Sitohang.
He said the clash with GAM members followed a tip-off from locals
on Sunday that GAM members had been seen in Kampung Bantaian in
Simpang Ulin district.

After the fighting Toisutta said the troops found three AK
rifles, one M-16 and 203 M-16 bullets, 514 Ces Super bullets,
seven magazines and one GAM flag. There was also a television
camera and Ersa's press card.

Toisutta's deputy Brig. Gen. Safzen Nurdin said Ersa, born in
Brastagi, North Sumatra, in 1951 and a father of three, was
thinner compared to six months ago.

Ersa's death "cannot not be separated from the responsibility
of both TNI and GAM", stated Alliance of Independent Journalists
(AJI) chairman Eddy Suprapto.

His death "is a direct attack on press freedom", AJI said, and
demanded that both sides immediately find a way to secure the
release of cameraman Ferry.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised an investigation into Ersa's
death.