MILITARY ACCUSED OF KILLING HUNDREDS OF ACEH CIVILIANS
By Marianne Kearney in Jakarta

October 15, 2003 – (South China Morning Post) The Indonesian military has tortured and killed hundreds of civilians, and targeted human rights activists in Aceh, according to a group campaigning for a referendum in the restive province.

As Indonesia considers whether to extend martial law in Aceh beyond next month, the Centre for Information on a Referendum for Aceh (Sira) said
yesterday the military have killed at least 414 civilians, arrested 900 and tortured 600, and sexually assaulted or raped 60 women in the first four months of its operation there.

Sira said the final toll was likely to be far higher. "This is only 25 per cent of the total number of deaths and human rights violations, but because of
the intimidation towards non-governmental groups and the media, collecting evidence is extremely difficult," said a spokesman.

Human rights advocates and representatives of non-governmental groups have been arrested and harassed, it said.

At least 14 human rights activists have been detained and about 200 have gone underground, Sira said. Several others have been charged with either
terrorism or treason.

State prosecutors last week demanded a 14-year sentence for a woman charged with treason for organising a demonstration in favour of an East Timor-style referendum, and at least one activist has been summarily executed, according to Sira. The organisation's chairman, Mohammad Nazar, is serving a two-year jail term for campaigning for a referendum.

A military spokesman, Colonel Ditya Sudarsono, said he could not comment on Sira's claims.

However, police said last month that 319 civilians had been killed and 108 others were still missing as of early last month.

Aceh's police spokesman, Senior Adjunct Commissioner Sayed Hoesaini, blamed the rebel Free Aceh Movement for most of the casualties. The military launched a massive push to decimate the 5,000-strong group which has been waging a 27-year guerilla war for independence, after peace talks collapsed in May.