Anti-GAM raids continue despite catastrophe (Civil war in Aceh, Indonesia)

[allemand]

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While volunteers, security officers and families are busy collecting and searching for the bodies of victims killed in Sunday's catastrophic tsunami in Aceh, soldiers are continuing their offensive against separatist rebels.

A recent cease-fire offered by the military for Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members, whose hideouts were not affected by the tsunami, appear to be mere rhetoric.

A GAM spokesman said on Thursday the military had killed two separatist guerrillas, including the commander of the Peurelak area in East Aceh, Afrizal bin Abdul Manaf, during crossfire. <...> The Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters did not categorically confirm that gunfire had erupted in the aftermath of the calamity in Aceh, but said the war on GAM had not been put on hold.

Reports from the field said hundreds of troops were raiding GAM hideouts across East and North Aceh, which had been devastated by the tsunami.

More:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20041231.A02&irec=5

Absolutely incredible. How can anybody be so depraved?
It seems that in the eyes of the Indonesian military not enough people have been killed in Aceh.

:grr:

[allemand]

1. No let up in Aceh raids

Friday 31 December 2004, 17:25 Makka Time, 14:25 GMT  

The Indonesian military says it will continue to fight separatists in Aceh despite having earlier called a ceasefire to help aid efforts following the tsunami disaster.

"Our security operations continue, the only difference is that it may be less in scale and intensity," Lieutenant Colonel Nachrowi, of the military headquarters' general information department, said on Friday.

"The principle is that all our forces in Aceh are basically continuing their duty under the security operation. But they also have to accord a large portion of their time for the humanitarian relief efforts.

"We continue to launch raids into suspected GAM (Free Aceh Movement) areas and our vigilance remains high."

More:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E03B6E8D-A411-455F-A007-00CDCF939621.htm