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| Southeast Asia |
| Megawati to Aceh as Claims Fly |
| 2002-12-20 |
| President Megawati Sukarnoputri began a visit to Aceh Tuesday as both the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian military traded accusations of breaches of the ceasefire signed in Geneva a week earlier. "They started it!" "Did not!" "Did, too!" GAM said a total of 15 people had died in actions mounted by the Indonesian military, a claim denied by the movement. Corpses are a usual byproduct of agreements Muslims reach... Reuters reported that no confirmation was available of the claim, adding that âthe charges - and counter claims by the military - show how difficult it will be to implement the December 9 accord.â "Wudn't me." "Wuz, too!" "The facts are not there, not at all. I see in the media that GAM is being continually provocative, making false reports," Aceh military spokesman Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno said of the accusations. There was no independent confirmation of the rebels' claim, and no bodies have been presented as evidence. "Yusuf! We need a couple corpses!" "Comin' right up, boss!" Rebel spokesman Sofyan Daud accused the military of killing eight people at Panga, West Aceh and another seven in different parts of Aceh. Police spokesman Maj. Taufik Sugiono confirmed there had been clashes with GAM forces but did not say whether there had been any deaths. "Hiow do I know if they wuz dead? Sometimes people don't move for other reasons..." Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu accused GAM of attacking troops on 24 different occasions since the peace deal was signed. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |