The chairperson of SMUR (Students in Solidarity with the People), Mahmudal, was arrested in Banda Aceh on February 19 during a demonstration organised by ORPAD (Acehnese Women's Democratic Organisation).

SMUR is an affiliated organisation of the Acehnese Peoples Democratic Resistance Front (FPDRA). FPDRA chairperson Kautsar was imprisoned last year for six months on charges of spreading hatred against the Indonesian government. The charges were later dismissed.

Mahmudal had entered the compound of the governor's office to watch the demonstration and listen to the speeches protesting widespread corruption and price increases. He had left his identity card, as requested, at the security post at the gates. After a while, he went back to the security post to retrieve his identity card, but as he was leaving the post, several members of the mobile brigade police, Brimob, grabbed him. Other Brimob members started to beat him when he tried to pull free. He was then taken back to the security post.

Some of the people attending the demonstration report that another man, identified as Ustadz Syarifuddin, who attends the Muslim Theology Faculty of Ar-Raniry college, was also taken into custody by the same Brimob unit. Mahmudal was taken to the Banda Aceh police station.

From Green Left Weekly, February 27, 2002.
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