AMM asks police to investigate attack on SIRA offices

Aceh Kita – February 26, 2006
Motorist drives past damaged SIRA office (Sumugah)
Motorist drives past damaged SIRA office (Sumugah)

Rilis, Banda Aceh – A meeting of the Commission for Security Arrangements (COSA) on Saturday February 25 has discussed a number of crucial issues that have taken place in Aceh such as violence against members of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) and the vandalism of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) offices in Blang Pidie, West Aceh.

According to the AMM, the vandalism of the SIRA office by the illegal group is a violation of Article 4.9 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). “AMM is asking the Indonesian government to investigate and report back to the AMM by March 9 and to discipline those involved”, said AMM press officer Juri Laas in a press release received by Aceh Kita on Saturday February 25. “The AMM will propose a number of steps to ensure that SIRA is fully conforming with the MoU.”

In addition to this, the AMM also conveyed its dissatisfaction with provocation and violence against AMM members during incidents that occurred in Alue Leuho in the Cot Girek sub-district of North Aceh. “The AMM is also asking the Indonesian government to investigate the identities of the perpetrators”, continued Laas.

The COSA meeting, that was chaired by AMM chairperson Pieter Feith and attended by Major General Bambang Dharmono (Indonesia) and Irwandi Yusuf (Free Aceh Movement, GAM), took place in a cordial atmosphere. They also discussed the issue of the reintegration of GAM members, the distribution of new identity cards for the Acehnese people and the issue of GAM members who have yet to be granted amnesty by the Indonesian government.

“With regard to the delayed amnesty cases, the AMM states that progress has been made in the clarification of 20 cases, were in 13 of the cases they will be released”, said Laas. The two parties also took the opportunity to commit themselves to safeguarding the momentum of the peace process and provide direct information to each other in assist in solving cases. The AMM also expressed its satisfaction with the Indonesian government’s desire to form a human rights court on June 15. [dzie]

[Translated by James Balowski.]