AI Index ASA 21/021/2001 - News Service Nr. 109 Embargoed for : 27/06/2001 00:01 GMT

Indonesia: Aceh peace talks must put civilian protection first

"Peace talks on Aceh, Indonesia, which are to resume in Geneva next

week must prioritise human rights protection", Amnesty International

said today. "Despite a succession of previous agreements, violence has

escalated over the past year and civilians continue to suffer grave human

rights abuses at the hands of both the Indonesian security forces and the

Free Aceh Movement (GAM)."

The recent torture and killing of three high school students is a

stark reminder of why human rights protection must be firmly on the

agenda. Lukman (18), Azhari Iskandar (18) and Tarmizi (16) were

shot dead on 18 June after they and 13 other school children, a teacher

and the school head were detained by members of the Indonesian Police

Mobile Brigade (Brimob). The children had been attending a ceremony to

collect their graduation certificates when Brimob raided the school in

Caleng, West Aceh after one of their members had been killed in an

armed clash with GAM.

After failing to find the GAM members responsible, Brimob took

the students and their teachers to Krueng Sabee police sector where they

were interrogated, beaten and the three students were shot dead.

Brimob refused to release their bodies without payment from their

families.

"The peace talks won't bring back the three school students or

hundreds of other innocent civilians who have been killed in Aceh, but if

human rights protection is prioritised the dialogue could prevent more

unnecessary deaths", said Amnesty International.

The killings came just days after the announcement that talks

between the Indonesian government and GAM would be resumed.

Previous talks have focussed on reducing the level of violence to allow

humanitarian aid to be delivered and more recently have made tentative

steps towards exploring political solutions to the conflict.

"All efforts to resolve the situation in Aceh through dialogue rather

than force are welcome, however too often human rights are sacrificed in

the search for peace and security. Sidelining human rights will not lead

to a durable and just solution to any conflict," the organization added.

The Indonesian government has responded to the deteriorating

situation by sending more troops to the province. Military operations

aimed at defeating GAM began on 2 May 2001. Troops trained in

counter-insurgency operations by Special Forces Command (Kopassus), a

military unit notorious for violating human rights in Aceh and elsewhere

in Indonesia, are among those which have been moved into Aceh.

Human rights monitors and humanitarian workers are prevented

from carrying out their legitimate work because of fear for their security.

In late March a human rights worker, his lawyer and driver were shot

dead in South Aceh. Teungku Al-Kamal was returning from being

questioned by the police about his role in assisting a group of women who

alleged that they had been raped by Brimob last year.

Rather than investigate the rape or the killing of Teungku

Al-Kamal, the Indonesian police have accused human rights activists who

tried to help the women of defamation and kidnapping. Aguswandi, the

Aceh Coordinator of the Commission for the Victims of Disappearance

and Violence (Kontras), has been summoned to answer charges of

kidnapping. Other activists who assisted the women to travel to the

Acehnese capital of Banda Aceh to report their cases to the National

Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) have also been summoned

for questioning.

"While the dialogue is in progress, immediate steps must be taken

on the ground to prevent further violations and to bring to justice those

guilty of committing these crimes. Human rights defenders must be able

to carry out their work without intimidation, including spurious criminal

charges, and both sides must abide by international human rights and

humanitarian law. Immediate orders should be issued to troops to

respect these rights, including the right to life".

\ENDS

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