LAKSAMANA.Net, April 1, 2004 12:09 AM
Military Kills 12 Alleged Rebels
Laksamana.Net - The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) has killed at least 12
separatist rebels in a single day in troubled Aceh province, a military spokesman said
Wednesday (31/3/04).
Lieutenant Colonel Asep Sapari said the killings took place on Tuesday in eight
separate gunfights in the districts of North Aceh, West Aceh, East Aceh, Pidie and
Bireuen.
State troops seized seven firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and other
logistics from the slain rebels, he added.
Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse reported that three children were badly injured in
East Aceh on Wednesday when a homemade bomb exploded.
The bomb, apparently discarded by members of the separatist Free Aceh Movement
(GAM), went off after the children set fire to a pile of garbage where the device had
been left.
Exactly how many rebels have been killed by TNI since martial law was imposed in
Aceh last May is unclear due to severe restrictions on journalists seeking to cover the
conflict. The military says at least 1,300 have been killed but GAM says most of the
dead are civilians. Reports say more than 1,500 people are believed to have been
killed in Aceh over the past 10 months.
'Environmentalist Faces Torture'
London-based human rights organization Amnesty International on Wednesday
warned that an environmentalist recently arrested in Aceh is at serious risk of torture
by the military.
Bestari Raden (55) was arrested for alleged links to GAM is said to be undergoing
intensive interrogation.
"Torture and ill-treatment are routine in military custody in [Aceh] and there are
serious concerns for his safety," Amnesty said in a statement.
Raden was in Aceh as a member of a government team assigned to evaluate the
controversial Ladia Galaska highway project, which is strongly opposed by
environmentalists.
The team was established by the Forestry Ministry, the Coordinating Ministry for
Political and Security Affairs and Aceh's martial law administration.
Rights activists in Jakarta have said Raden was arrested because he opposes the
highway project, which is backed by Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh and President
Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Environment Minister Nabiel Makarim and conservationists have warned that
development of the highway through a national park will exacerbate illegal logging and
result in further destruction of the forest.
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