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News & Letters, June 2001
Struggle continues against bloodshed in Aceh
Bloodshed has increased in Aceh, a province in northwest Indonesia where
the entire population has been demanding a referendum on independence for
the past two years. The government's response is repression. Since
ExxonMobil closed down natural gas production in March due to violence in
the area, Indonesia has sent more troops and increased its killing,
kidnapping, torture, rape and burning of homes, schools and community
centers.
The largest organization leading the fight for a referendum--larger than
GAM, the guerrilla movement--is the student organization SIRA, which has
more than 100 member organizations and is growing. SIRA is the biggest
challenge to the government, not only because we have such widespread
support, but also because of the reasonableness of our demands.
The government cannot logically deny our demands, especially when we say
that Aceh's problem is the Indonesian security forces in Aceh. We have
talked many times with the government, we have an open door to continued
talk, but the government still pretends it is not responsible for the
violence, blaming it all on GAM and "persons unknown."
More than 600 people have been killed so far this year alone. Everyone
knows the main perpetrators are the security forces, yet the government
pressures journalists to say the killings are by "persons unknown."
Indonesia is trying to kill off our educators and even moderate political
leaders, everyone who has a good mind and can challenge government policy.
Many professors have been killed, like Safwan Idris, director of State
Institute of Islamic Studies, who was killed in his home. They think that
when they kill professors, then the students will have no one to guide us,
no one to lead us besides the government. This is crude and stupid.
Recently they killed T. H. Djohan, a former vice-governor of Aceh who had
criticized the government's policies of burning homes and sending more
troops. It was a shock that he got killed because he had been high up in
the military.
The government says they have a plausible proposal for peace and to bring
the perpetrators of violence to justice, but no one can expect honest
investigations to be done by it while it is killing people daily. They are
even starting to kill and kidnap foreign journalists.
In Jakarta, an Acehnese students' hostel blew up May 10, killing three
people and injuring others. The government said the residents were SIRA
students making bombs. They detained and tortured other residents trying to
get evidence. The students weren't even SIRA members; they just had some of
our public documents in the house.
The government uses any excuse to blame SIRA. On May 13 in the capital of
Aceh, army troops dismantled the giant permanent referendum billboard in
front of Baiturrahman grand mosque, which had been approved by President
Wahid. The billboard was a memorial sign of the Acehnese aspiration for a
referendum, constructed after the huge referendum rally on Nov. 8, 1999.
There have been suppressive actions against SIRA activists by arrest,
detention, intimidation, kidnapping and murder since SIRA organized a huge
rally demanding a referendum in November 1999. About two million people
gathered in Banda Aceh. It was peaceful; no casualties took place because
no security forces were deployed.
On May 14 the SIRA office in Jakarta was attacked, and May 15 in Banda
Aceh, police raided and destroyed SIRA headquarters. They ripped out our
signs and wrote on the wall, "SIRA is a communist group," "SIRA is a
traitor of the people," and "SIRA enjoys the people's money." I think the
military only hurts itself by making wild accusations against SIRA.
The second rally, known as the ''Mass Rally for Peace'' took place on Nov.
12, 2000. At least 60 people, were killed by security forces that blocked
convoys going to Banda Aceh to exercise their political views. Many people
were brutally tortured.
I believe Indonesia will have to negotiate; they can't kill everyone in the
whole country. If they keep killing so many, they will lose their
credibility and good name in the world. As Isaac Asimov said, "Violence is
the last resort of incompetents."
--SIRA member in the U.S.
***
On May 22, the U.S. Congress, under intense pressure from human rights
groups, passed a "finding" of human rights abuses in Aceh and West Papua,
and a finding of escalating violence in Maluku and Central Kalimantan as
well.
The Congressional resolution also calls for Indonesia to release Jafar
Siddiq Hamzah's autopsy report so an investigation of his murder can be
made. Hamzah was the founder and director of the International Forum on
Aceh, which works for peace and human rights in Aceh. A New York resident,
he was kidnapped, tortured and killed while visiting Indonesia last summer.
The resolution was brought about by the work of the Indonesia Human Rights
Network, 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Washington, DC 2000, TEL 202-544-1211,
which urges everyone to pressure Congress not to restore military aid to
Indonesia.
--Editor.
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