TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Seeking out Aceh’s agents of terror

Rows of luxury cars were parked in front of the Helmes Palace Hotel in Banda Aceh last Thursday night

Nani Afrida (The Jakarta Post)
Mon, April 9, 2012

Share This Article

Change Size

Seeking out Aceh’s agents of terror

R

ows of luxury cars were parked in front of the Helmes Palace Hotel in Banda Aceh last Thursday night. Guests in neat clothes came to attend the Aceh gubernatorial debate, which was broadcast live.

The event on April 5 was the last day of the campaign period before voting day on Monday; and all five pairs of governor candidates and their running mates were making the best of the remaining hours.

The debate was fired up by a single question from contender and former governor Irwandi Yusuf to his competitor, the prominent Free Aceh Movement (GAM) figure, Zaini Abdullah. He questioned the incidents of terror and intimidation that had started months before the election.

“The special Detachment 88 [National Police counterterrorism unit] found that the culprits were Aceh Party cadres. Does Dr. Zaini know about this?” asked Irwandi, a former GAM intelligence chief. He added he had lost a friend in a shooting incident, one of several that had killed a number of Javanese migrant workers in different areas.

Zaini Abdullah refused the accusations. “These are provocative efforts aimed to stain the name of the Aceh Party,” Zaini said of the political party that nominated him.

According to Zaini, the police will investigate the cases. He added that his rivals should not resort to blaming the Aceh Party for the incidents for their own political benefit.

Zaini has answered similar questions from journalists on numerous occasions. He believes there are unidentified actors who want to ruin the peace process in Aceh, and who are using the election as momentum.

Fachrul Razi, the Aceh Party spokesperson, has denied any suggestion of the involvement of the Aceh Party and its members in incidents of terror and intimidation.

“Let’s wait for the legal process,” he said, adding that any member known to be involved would have their membership revoked.

Violence has increased in Aceh since October, as dozens were killed and several more injured in mysterious shootings. Casualties included supporters of contenders for the local elections, but also workers originating from Java, who were in the dark as to why they had been targeted.

During the election campaign, the election supervisory committee listed 57 cases of intimidation and election violations, with most perpetrators being supporters of candidates. Five cases were classified as crimes and handed over to the police.

Some incidents were involving weapons, proving that illegal weapons still existed in Aceh even though they had been decommissioned after the peace agreement, which ended decades of war between GAM and the Indonesian government.

So far, the police have arrested eight men allegedly involved in incidents of terror ahead of the elections. Police say six of them were caught with five pipe bombs intended to hurt other candidates. It was reported that several suspects were former GAM members.

Aceh police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Gustav Leo told reporters that these men were suspected of being involved in killing plantation workers last year, and on New Year’s Eve.

The suspects were caught by Detachment 88, but police have been tight lipped as to whether the men were linked to a terrorist network, only saying they would divulge information after the election was completed.

Human rights workers have criticized the deployment of the above unit in Aceh, saying other groups trying to sabotage the peace process, rather than suspected terrorists, would be more likely to be involved in election related violence.

“These unidentified men work quite systematically and skillfully,” said one activist, requiring anonymity.

“We should know that there are many players in Aceh now who want to foster conflict for their own benefit,” he added.

 

The hunt for the perpetrators

March 10, 2012
Six men are arrested in Lhoong, Greater Aceh and North Aceh. The police confiscate five pipe bombs from the suspects. From information provided by suspects, the police are hunting six other men in North Aceh, Banda Aceh and Greater Aceh.

March 24

Detachment 88 shoots two suspects in Limpok village, Banda Aceh, based on information from the six men. One suspect, Maimun, 44, dies, while the other is placed under intensive medical treatment at the Aceh Police hospital. Two others are arrested.

March 26
Detachment 88 raids a house at Meunasah Papeun village, Banda Aceh, to find other suspects.

March 28
Two men are arrested during a raid at a house in Babah Ie village, Aceh Jaya. Detachment 88 confiscates weapons including rifles and ammunition.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.