ACEH: Student leader arrested

BY MAX LANE

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.

Visit the Green Left Weekly
home page. 

From GLW issue 482