Banda Aceh – The situation in Aceh during the year of 2000 has not significantly improved, said Coordinator Deputy of Aceh Commission for Missing Persons & Victims of Violence (Kontras), Fouad Ismail. The government still commits violence, which adds the long list of human rights violation in Aceh.

Moreover, the state is not serious enough to settle the problem in Aceh. "Dispatching huge number of military personnel to Aceh for the sake of maintaining unity means extending violation to Acehnese," Fouad told the press on Thursday afternoon.

In his opinion, Indonesian Military (TNI)/National Police (Polri) should be held responsible for violence and human rights violations since military status was implemented in Aceh. TNI/Polri still used old patterns such as terrors, kidnapping and murders to commit their action, which blows the second Humanitarian Pause.

According to Kontras, at least 1,632 people become the victims of violence, murder, torture, rape and kidnapping committed by military personnel in 2000. The dominant military role in the state keeps the military violation going on. "The stigmas are also used to arrest and terrorize the humanitarian workers," Fouad said. "Violation to the civilians is legalized in each military operation when it comes to Free Aceh Movement and separatist movement. It is also an excuse to kidnap and terror the humanitarian workers," he added.

Therefore, Fouad said, Kontras Aceh urged the government to stop the politics of violence in Aceh. "The cessation of all military operations and the responsibility of human rights violation in Aceh should be determined by international court of human rights," he said. He also called the world to monitor and put pressure on the Indonesian government for the sake of human rights and democracy enforcement in Aceh. "We are saying this because we are really concern about the human rights situation in Aceh," he added.