ACEH: 507 Schools burned down in a month — Asian Human Rights Commission

ACEH: Genocide?

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ACEH: 507 Schools burned down in a month

The Jakarta Post has reported that 507 school buildings have been set on fire by unidentified persons in ten districts in Banda Aceh since 19 May 2003 (18 June 2003, http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20030617165834&irec=7) resulting in 70,000 students with no school to attend and nowhere to study. However, some students have been able to study in emergency tents provided by the government, or in nearby schools which had not been targeted. The Head of Aceh’s Provincial Education Office, Anas Adam, said on 17 June 2003 that the Indonesian Military (TNI) had been helping people rebuild the burnt school buildings, and that the “teaching-and-learning process should not stop”. According to the TNI, the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) was responsible for the arson.

Of the school buildings burned, 4 were kindergartens, 361 were public primary schools, 60 were Islamic primary schools, 52 were public secondary schools, 12 were Islamic secondary schools, 12 were public high schools, 5 were Islamic high schools, and 1 was a multi-purpose building.

Schools and teachers have been the targets of violence in recent months, especially since a major military assault against separatist rebels began on 19 May 2003. The Provincial Education Office says 60 schoolteachers have been killed in the past four months. On 17 June 2003, two male schoolteachers were found tortured and murdered after being abducted from their homes in Aceh late in the evening of 15 June 2003. A military spokesman, Second Lt. Agus Harimurti, blamed the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) for the murders (The Jakarta Post, 18 June 2003, http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20030617165834&irec=7).

ASEAN, at the close of the 36^th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Phnom Penh, which ended on 17 June, has effectively condoned the actions in Aceh. ASEAN holds to its principle of non-interference in the internal problems of member countries, and the Foreign Ministers reasserted their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Indonesia and recognised the efforts made by the Indonesian Government to restore peace and order in Aceh.

Denying an education to children by burning down schools is a gross violation of human rights, and a tragedy that will affect a whole generation of Acehnese, leaving them with no education and, arguably, no future – and therefore tantamount to genocide.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Write letters to the authorities expressing your concern about the burning of schools and urge the authorities to take appropriate action to stop this violation of rights. A sample letter and contact details for your action are provided below.

We also urge you to continue your action in response to our previous appeals by signing the online letter to the Komnas HAM commissioners regarding the 1965 investigation at http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/indonesia1965/send.html and also by responding to the most recent abduction and murder of human rights defenders in Aceh at http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2003/450

 

 

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER