Youths demand Aceh independence
JAKARTA (JP): Around 100 youths rallied outside the United Nations office here on Monday demanding referendum for the Aceh province to enable residents determine whether they wanted independence.
The tightly guarded demonstration by members of Student Solidarity for Aceh (Somaka) came five days ahead of a planned one-day visit to the province by President B.J. Habibie.
The protesters along the city's main Jl. M.H. Thamrin business district, shouted that the province could no longer accept human rights and economic abuses from the central government.
"Referendum is the best choice for Aceh," read one poster.
"A referendum would give an honorable and just solution to the Aceh case," said Fajran Zein, Somaka chairman said.
"Long live Hasan Tiro," read another poster.
Tiro is the leader of the Free Aceh movement to establish an independent Islamic state, now living in exile in Sweden.
After a 10-year military operation status was lifted from Aceh, residents reported various abuses by the military, including murders and rape, to fact-finding teams.
The operation aimed to crush rebels of the Free Aceh movement.
Students also rejected suggestions to reestablish a military command in Aceh given continuing sporadic violence there.
"Kodam no, Referendum yes" and "Stop mysterious shooting in Aceh," read other posters.
A number of people identified as the much-hated former military informants or cuak have been killed by unidentified people this year. Locals have been blamed but students on Monday said they also suspected the military.
The National Commission on Human Rights has said that at least 781 people were killed and thousands of others suffered from the decade-long military operations.
Meanwhile in North Aceh, military personnel wounded a 40-year old civilian and seized an American-made M-16 rifle from him on Sunday, Antara reported.
The news agency said a team of marines and police shot and arrested the man in a gas station in the Muara Batu subdistrict, some 30 kilometers west of the North Aceh capital of Lhokseumawe.
Lilawangsa Military Commander Col. Johnny Wahab, who oversees North Aceh, East Aceh and Pidie regencies, was quoted as saying that the man was wanted by the military as he was allegedly involved in a number of mysterious shootings in the area.
The agency said that at least 19 people, including an army sergeant, have been killed and five others injured in a series of mysterious shootings in past months.
It reported the security personnel had also seized a Russian- made AK-47 and a pistol from two civilians in the area in mid- March. (01/byg)