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TITLE: Indonesia Opens Tightly-Guarded Trial of Aceh Activist |
AUTHOR: |
PUB: AFP |
DATE: March 8, 2001 |
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The politically sensitive trial of a leading supporter of independence for the Indonesian province of Aceh opened here on Thursday amid tight security. Muhammad Nazar, chairman of the Information Centre for a Referendum in Aceh (SIRA), is accused of having "publicly expressed emnity, hatred or insults towards the government of Indonesia." If convicted he could face seven years in jail. State prosecutor Suheri (Eds: one name) said in his opening speech that Nazar had distributed banners with slogans demanding a referendum on independence. The banners, which Nazar is accused of having distributed on August 17, Indonesia's national day, stated: "Aceh remains within the Republic of Indonesia or Freedom." The trial, at the Banda Aceh district court, was tightly guarded, with hundreds of policemen on guard and public attendance inside the court room limited to less than 100 people. But outside the court room hundreds of people packed the main street in front of the court and listened to proceedings from public speakers. Hundreds of SIRA members also staged a peaceful protest calling the trial a "political farce" and demanding the trial be halted and Nazar released. Banda Aceh Police Chief Assistant Senior Commissioner Sayed Hoesainy said Wednesday about 600 men were to be deployed to safeguard the trial, including about 100 soldiers. Nazar was arrested a few days after SIRA organized days of mass rallies involving tens of thousands of people in Banda Aceh in November to help push for the referendum. It was the second mass rally in favor of a referendum. SIRA had the previous year held a peaceful mass rally in Banda Aceh in support of a referendum involving over one million people. The trial will continue on Monday. Demand for a referendum on self determination in Aceh has been fuelled by a decade of harsh military operations that left some 5,000 dead. There is also resentment over the syphoning off by Jakarta of natural resources from the province on the northern tip of Sumatra island. Despite a series of shaky truces, more than 200 people have died so far this year in violence between goverment troops and the Free Aceh Movement, which has been fighting for an independent Aceh since the mid-1970's. END |