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NEWS & LETTERS, October 2001

Achenese denounce threat home and abroad

The Acehnese community deeply condemns the terrorist attack in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. "We send our commemoration and sympathy to our brothers and sisters in U.S. We know what it is like to live in fear as we have done in the past 12 years under the threat of the government of Indonesia," said Radhi Darmansyah, SIRA International Affairs Coordinator.

SIRA is a non-government organization advocating human rights, democracy and peace. This organization concentrates especially on popular referendum voting for the Acehnese on the right of self-determination within Indonesia or independence.

The perpetrator of the Sept. 11 tragedy, supposed internationally sponsored terrorist groups, should be brought forward and tried in an international court. The international community should assist the United States in finding and apprehending these individuals.

Aceh, an oil-rich region of Indonesia, has fought for 26 years against the Indonesian government for independence. The Acehnese, a devout and tolerant Muslim population, want justice, revenue-sharing and peace in the region, but the government has only responded with military oppression. After 12 years of the worst military operation and violence, which has killed 6,000 people, the Acehnese people largely support an independent movement advocated by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

There has been more violence this year alone, after Henry Dunant Center facilitated peace talks between the Indonesian Government and Free Aceh Movement. Indonesian police arrested six GAM negotiators on the day Megawati took over the Presidency from Abdurrahman Wahid. 

Even on her last visit to Aceh on Sept. 8th, Megawati did not stop the violation of human rights; the military continues its violence. Some protesters were arrested on the day of her visit to Aceh because they were asking to cease the military oppression.

-SIRA

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