ACHEH-SUMATRA NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT (ASNLF )
ACHEH NATIONAL ARMED FORCES ( TNA )
CENTRAL MILITARY COMMAND

It has been 6 days now since the Indonesian Colonial Government declared Martial Law in Acheh and the TNA has killed over 600 TNI/Brimob troops in all battle arenas in Acheh. But the colonial government chooses to hide this reality. On our side, four of our comrades have fallen in battle and over 70 innocent civilians have lost their lives in the hands of the TNI/Brimob aggressors. The Indonesian colonial regime claims that all the murdered civilians were TNA soldiers, while acknowledging there were no weapons found from any of those that they have killed. Most of the victims were villagers working in paddy fields or sleeping in village prayer houses. Foreign journalists such as those from the Guardian of London and the AFP who were not yet expelled from Acheh at the time, saw at least one massacre involving 18 innocent civilians whose ages ranged from as young as 10 year-old.

With the one-sided media coverage, it is not strange that all information coming from Acheh, in writing or by electronic means have to pass through Acheh Military Emergency Administrator (PDM).

The TNI troops who are conducting operations into the jungle were easily killed by our forces as most of them were young and inexperienced recruits. They in fact go into battle with fear; they are only brave when facing unarmed civilians or human rights activists and humanitarian workers. If the Indonesian Colonial government wants to claim the bodies of its fallen soldiers, the TNA will cooperate willingly and tell it where to find them in the jungle. There are on average 150 TNI/Brimob soldiers who got themselves killed by TNA.

The TNI/Brimob have arrested hundreds of innocent civilians, who were tortured sadistically, their properties robbed and houses burnt down. Thousands others have to flee to save their lives and become IDPs.
Today, Saturday 24/05/2003, the TNI has launched a massive attack deploying amphibious tanks. They are directing heavy artillery and mortar fires into the hill areas where many villages are located such as in the sub-districts of Bandar Baru, Geulumpang Tiga, Padang Tiji, Mila and Delima-Pidië.

Before that, 5 naval war vessels of the TNI approached from the sea accompanied by helicopter gunships to attack the villages in the small island of Pulo Acheh-at Peukan Bada, Acheh Besar. So far 20 corpes of villagers have been found.

We called on the Indonesian Government to treat TNA soldiers they captured as prisoners of war in accordance with the Geneva Convention and the International Humanitarian Law. On our part, we have always been fully committed to international conventions and accepted civilized behaviour of nations in conflicts.

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Tgk. Sofyan Dawod