Radzie, Banda Aceh - The earthquake and tsunami at
the end of 2004 and the signing of the peace
agreement between the Indonesian government and the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in August 2005 has resulted
in a drastic decline in the number of human rights
violations in Aceh.

According to Mashudi, from the research and policy
analysis division of the Aceh Coalition of Non-
Government Human Rights Organisations (Koalisi NGO
HAM), the tsunami and the Helsinki memorandum of
understanding (MoU) were the two principle factors
in this decline. In 2005 there were only 311 cases
of violence in Aceh, far lower that 2004 when there
were as many as 779 cases. "The decline was more
than 50 percent", Mashudi told Aceh Kita at his
office on Wednesday January 4.

In 2005, out of a total of 311 cases of human rights
violations, the majority of victims were civilians,
totaling 217 people. Meanwhile 41 victims were from
the Indonesian Military (TNI) or police and 53 from
GAM. The most prominent cases were the mistreatment
of civilians, which was as high as 136 cases.
Meanwhile there were 25 cases of mistreatment of
TNI/police officers and only nine against GAM.

Also this year, there were only 101 cases of
killings while in 2004 the figure was as high as
373. "These represent the cases that have declined
most in 2005", said Kurdinar, the head of the
coalition’s campaign division.

Although in terms of quantity, the number violations
declined rapidly, the type of violations however
were the same in 2005 and the years proceeding it.
"The quality was the same, such as killings and
arrests", said Kurdinar.

Koalisi NGO HAM said it regretted that there have
been no investigations into human rights violations
since 2005. Conversely, the opportunities to solve
human rights cases are extremely good, in concert
with the signing of the peace agreement between the
two parties that have fought for 30 years. "There
has not been one case that has been brought to trial
by the state", said Mashudi.

Mashudi said that impression of neglect over human
rights violations has also been worsened by the
natural disaster, where it has been as if it has
legitimised the state in avoiding its responsibility
to respect, protect and fulfil human rights.

The peace agreement said Mashudi, also does not yet
give guarantees on resolving the various cases of
rights violations prior to and after the MoU was
signed. "Post the MoU (August 16 to December 31
2005), we recorded 46 cases of rights violations as
taking place", said Mashudi.

In order to address this, the coalition is calling
on the government to solve the human rights
violations that have taken place during the Aceh
conflict, which has been going on since 1976. In
addition to this, the coalition is also calling on
the government to not distinguish between victims of
the conflict and the tsunami. [dzie]

[Translated by James Balowski.]

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