Fleeing Aceh residents forced to return home

Thousands of residents of the Tanah Luas district, North Aceh, who sought shelter at an airstrip owned by gas operator ExxonMobil in the area due to fears of a growing tension between the security forces and members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels, have been forced to go home, witnesses said.

According to the witnesses, the refugees, who had stayed in the airstrip since Sunday, were forced by the security forces to return to their home by surrounding the area and firing warning shots into the air the night before.

Around 2,815 families had been staying there in makeshift tents after they fled their homes in Tanah Luas and Matangkuli districts, according to The Jakarta Post on Thursday. The residents started to flock the airstrip on Sunday on rumors that the government would deploy security forces in the area to protect the operation of ExxonMobil. They feared that the deployment of the security forces would provoke more armed clashed with GAM members.

"They first tried to persuade the people to return home of their own volition. But later in the day, right after sunset, the troops fired shots into the air and we all hid in our tents," Nurhamah, a housewife from Blang Jruen, recounted her experience.

The last large group of around 2,000 refugees left the ExxonMobil compound on Wednesday afternoon.

Many were seen returning on foot; others went by whatever vehicles were available. "Never before in my life have I felt so scared and sad to be driven away like some kind of animal," Nurhamah added.

Police earlier claimed that residents had fled their homes due to rampant terror and propaganda from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels, who used the people as shields for their activities. But Deputy commander of GAM in North Aceh, Abu Sofyan Daud, on Wednesday denied the allegations.

"Troops keep on launching security sweeps and many have died as a result. The humanitarian pause seems only to work for the government, but not for us and the people," he said.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta about 600 marines from the Cilandak Infantry Brigade 2 were preparing to leave for Aceh next Monday. TNI Spokesman Vice Marshal Graito Usodo said the battalion was being sent to replace colleagues who have been stationed there for six months.

The new dispatch of marines will be placed on the eastern coast of Aceh to prevent infiltration of weapons into the province. They will be guarding a 460-kilometer coastline, which is divided into 19 guard posts. (*)