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.