Aceh – The police in Banda Aceh are still pursuing a prodemocracy activist Kautsar who mobilized Acehnese to go on strike recently without permission from security authorities.

The spokesman for the Aceh Provincial Police, Adj. Sr. Comr. Sayed Hoessainy, said on Friday the police would continue to hunt the suspect.

Kautsar, also deputy chairman of the Student's Solidarity for Acehnese people (SMUR) is wanted by the police after he along with other student activists mobilized Acehnese people in North Aceh to go on strike last week without a permit.

The demonstrators during the rally demanded independence for the province.

Security authorities have also arrested Muhammad Nazar, coordinator of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) for a similar case.

[According to MN Djuli who was responding to the original posting of this article, Kautsar and Muhammad Nazar did not call for a strike and the summons against them was for making public speech without permit. At first they were accused with organising a public rally without a permit, but it turned out they were not the organisers, only guest speakers at the rally, on which occasion the paramilitary police (Brimob) shot at and gravely injured four participants - James Balowski.]