IFA Statement on Aceh
International Forum for Aceh
Head Quarter 5002 - 47th Street, 2nd Floor, Woodside
New York 11377, USA
Tel.: (718) 937-0510, Fax.(718) 786-9135
Email.: acehforum@aol.com; http://aceh.org/forum/
PRESS RELEASE: IFA STATEMENT ON THE NEW MASSACRE IN ACEH
In an attack launched by more than 100 Indonesian soldiers on July 30, on
the village of Blang Merandeh in the West Aceh District, some 60 unarmed
civilians were killed and 20 others are either missing or believed tobe
executed. The soldiers, coming on 17 military trucks launched the massacre
on the small and isolated religious community led by Tengku Bantakiah.
The news on the killing were only leaked to the local press by a couple of
villagers who escaped the onslaugh and when the exodus of nearby villages
began a day later.
Col. Syarifuddin Tippe, the Regional Commander of the Indonesian Army then
issued a statement saying: "It is true Tengku Bantakiah and his 30 followers
were killed because our intelligence unit knew he has arms".
Meanwhile, Infantry Colonel Safnil Armen, the local Regimental Commander of
TNI said: "Those who are killed are trouble makers and ganja farmers, but we
are still checking", added that "fights broke out between Special Police and
Bantakiah's group for about ten minutes".
Villagers said most of those killed were first arrested and then took to a
field to be executed.
From comments made to the press in Aceh, it can be concluded that massacres
and killings of civilians are allowed if there is an assumption that they
have weapons, ganja (hashhish) farm or are members of AGAM (The Aceh Sumatra
National Liberation Front's armed wing).
The time of the massacre coincided with the informal dialogue between the
mission sent by the Governor of Aceh and the representatives of the ASNLF /
GAM in Bangkok, that took place in Bangkok during the Asian Conference on
Aceh organised by FORUM-ASIA and IFA, showing the cynicism with which the
Indonesian military threat any move for a peaceful solution to the problem
in Aceh.
IFA cannot accept such a blatant notion of guilt followed by barbaric
punishment by the Indonesian military and condemn in the strongest term to
this new massacre. It is not the first time. Earlier in the year, May 05,
1999, the same group of soldiers, massacred 47 Acehnese in Dewantara, North
Aceh District. The victims include women and children. On February 7, 1999,
this group also executed 45 Acehnese in Idi Cut. IFA calls on the
international community to voice their protests to the Indonesian government
in Jakarta and immediately stop their barbaric Acts. The criminals must be
punished and acts of barbarism use by the Central Government must be
immediately stop.
To the Acehnese people and to all Indonesians sympathetic to the plight of
the Acehnese, IFA urges them to show their abhorence of this barbaric act of
the Indonesian military by holding mass prayers, demonstrations and strikes.
IFA expresses its total support for the peaceful mass strike proposed by the
students and NGO groups to take place on August 3rd and 4th in Aceh.
(IFA) INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR ACEH.
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