Acheh: Johan Tortured To Death While Detained

Accused As Gam District Chief, M.Johan Was Tortured To Death In Detention

On Thursday July 1, The Indonesian Colonial State (NKRI) police force in Acheh arrested Tgk. M. Johan, accused as Greater Acheh District Chief of the Free Acheh Movement (GAM). While in detention he was severely tortured, all members of his family, including his wife were intimidated.

Early this morning at 1.00 am he was found death in his cell with heavy torture marks all over his body. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raajiun (From Allah we came and to Allah we return). After repeated pleading by his family, his body was allowed to be released for burial; the family was intimidated not to tell anyone about the torture. Indeed, since the beginning of the colonial takeover of Acheh by the Indonesian Colonial State (NKRI), there is hardly a day when the people of Acheh being left alone in peace and calm. Arbitrary killing, rape, intimidation and robbery have become the colonial administration weapons to subdue the Achehnese. Thousands of Achehnese have been detained without any due process of the law that is in accordance with international norms; they have been meted with very heavy jail sentences, some lasting dozens of years, and hundreds have been exiled to jails in Java, as had done the Dutch colonial government during its war with Acheh. Indeed, NKRI is nothing but a Dutch Colonial Successor State.

Meanwhile, the GAM detainees released recently in Acheh Timur with the ICRC as the intermediary, are still being detained by the TNI/Polri; many among them have been brought before a farcical court and sentenced to years of imprisonment. This matter is such a strange and uncivilized development of the case, whereby the TNI/Polri, after claiming that GAM detained them as hostages are now detaining them as alleged GAM sympathisers. Even more saddening is the fact that the ICRC is washing its hands off the case, claiming its responsibility was limited to being the intermediary to have these unfortunate people released by GAM and is not responsible for what happens after that.

Such uncivilized jungle law being practiced by Indonesia is not unknown to the international community. In fact, the Amnesty International, in its report dated May 11 2004 stated that: "there are witnesses about a number of victims being tortured heavily by the Indonesian military and police (TNI/Polri). The torture methods employed include beating, burning parts of the body with cigarette butts, placing a plastic bag over the head, and also subjecting the victims to severe humiliation and to high-voltage electric shocks".

The Acheh National Armed Forces (TNA) condemns in the strongest terms all these primitive and criminal acts of the Indonesian military/police (TNI/Polri) in Acheh. The TNA will not leave all these acts of terrorism by the TNI/Polri without any consequence. Every drop of Achehnese blood by the TNI/Polri will be avenged!.

The Acheh National Armed Forces (TNA) Military Spokesman, Sofjan Dawood.

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