Repression made in Britain

For a higher resolution version of this picture, contact the CAAT office.

On 20 April 2004, the website Acehkita.com published a photo showing a Stormer APC patrolling the main road near Ganda Pura in Bireun district in Aceh on election day in Aceh (5 April 2004). The FCO have confirmed the photo depicts a Stormer APC. According to TAPOL “during what should have been a period of election campaigning, there was widespread intimidation to force people to register as voters. In many places people who refused to register were accused of being members or sympathisers of GAM.” Indeed “those who failed to register were visited and terrorised by militia groups” while “those who failed to turn up on election day were forcibly escorted to the polling stations” resulting in a 94% turnout in Aceh, higher than in Indonesia as a whole.

In any event the election in Aceh was not free, with parties representing the majority of Acehnese effectively banned. Aceh Electoral Watch, TAPOL notes, stated “the authorities intervened to block the candidature of several people who were very critical of martial law. According to AEW, local people were forced to reject the candidacy of anyone who is opposed to martial law. Ghazali Abas Adan, a prominent Acehnese who has repeatedly denounced the military approach in Aceh, was withdrawn as a candidate for the national parliament” . There were no Acehnese parties on the ballot papers . Here is a clear example of how UK military equipment assisted in an operation which denied the Acehnese their basic human rights.

Return to [pictures index]