Nursida, Indonesia

I am a graduate of Syiah Kuala Univesity in Aceh and I have been a human rights defender with Orpad since 2001. Orpad is an organization which defends women’s rights and supports peace for Aceh and a democratic solution to the Aceh conflict. Orpad has also stated that it rejects the call for general elections while Aceh is under marshal law.

The arbitrary nature of the arrests and abductions of pro-democracy activists and civilians who are labeled as GAM members was evidence by my own arrest on February 23. My abduction began with the arrest of Harlina, also an Orpad member. I was used by the police as a guide in their search for other Orpad members. The main purpose of my arrest was to discover the whereabouts of Ratna, another Orpad member and Muhsin, a leader of IMPEL (The Network of Ling Students). The police first ransacked Ratna’s home and then went to Muhsin's rented house but could not find them. When the police could not find Muhsin they began beating the other people who lived at Muhsin’s rented house. In order to obtain information, Harlina had already been interrogated by being slapped around and beaten by a length of wood. When Nova, another Orpad member, and I, were taken to the Lingke Brimob headquarters at 8am, I saw her and another man, Iwan, who was in a very poor state of health with his eyes bound with insulating tape. He appeared to have been beaten badly. I also saw three other prisoners. At 10pm I was interrogated by the commander, Tri Heriyanto, who asked about the whereabouts of Muhsin and Ratna, and my activities outside of my studies. According to the Brimob officers, Muhsin and Ratna were being sought because they had been accused of being members of GAM and Inong Bale, and because IMPEL had been assisting Central Aceh refugees in 2001 - although security forces had accused the refugees of being members of GAM. I was released and returned to my house at around 11pm. Although they released me, I was ordered to become a spy for the police and report on Muhsin and Ratna’s whereabouts should I see them. I was given the commander’s direct contact number to report if I knew where they were. I was also watched and each day my movements were monitored. I was threatened that if there was proof of my guilt my friends would be taken in for questioning.

The entire process of my arrest and the arrests of my friend in Central Aceh is ample proof of the brutality of the military in Aceh which have been given the authority to act in an arbitrary manner while marshal law is in force. As a member of Orpad who has seen directly the brutality of the police, I absolutely condemn what was done by the Lingke Brimob officers who must take responsibility the torture of Harlina and Iwan.