Asia's longest war drags on
Indonesia’s security forces claim that, over the past three months, they have killed around 2,000 independence fighters in Aceh – one of its western provinces, rich in oil and gas. They also claim to have captured thousands of Aceh separatists since May this year, when the Government ended a six-month truce, pulled out of internationally brokered peace talks and arrested GAM (Free Aceh Movement) negotiators.
However, foreign analysts say that so far the military offensive – in which the Government has engaged about 55,000 soldiers, marines and paramilitary police – has barely made a dent in the insurgency. In a rare phone interview from a jungle base, GAM Commander Kafrawi told an Associated Press writer: ‘Only a fifth of the casualties are our fighters, while the rest are civilians.’ Indonesian and international human rights organizations concur that most of the victims in Aceh are innocent villagers caught up in army sweeps through the countryside. While Aceh was formally included in the Federal Republic of Indonesia in 1949, the Acehnese independence movement has been strong since the Dutch invaded in 1873. The Acehnese are now demanding a UN-supervised independence referendum like the one which ended Indonesian rule in East Timor in 1999.
Indonesia claims to have captured thousands of Aceh separatists since May 2004. In August 73 of them were transferred to a west Javan prison together with this separatist from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
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- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
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- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
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