May 3, 1999 had many meanings for the people of North Aceh, and also for the people of Aceh in general. That date besides means resistance or opposition of the people against the state, also a bad memory, how the country so arbitrarily against the people. Therefore, every year-though not routine because the condition of Aceh is not always conducive to commemorate the tragedy-North Aceh residents, especially the victims of Tragedy Simpang KKA commemorate it.
Just treating memory, Monday, May 3, 1999 or 19 years ago, a lot of blood spilled around the intersection of PT KKA. The screams and cries of the victims broke the ears of anyone who had heard. At that time, the price of bullets soldiers so cheap, because it can be wasted very easily. After that, dozens of corpses and hundreds of victims were stunned, some were rigid, many were still alive while moaning, others were running like chased by the tsunami, looking for a place to shelter.
At the time of the tragedy, the victims were injured innumerable. Only data collected by the Aceh Province Fact Finding Team (TPF) mentioned 115 people were seriously injured, while 40 others died. Of that number, there are 6 people still very young, including Saddam Hussein (7 years) became a victim of the state apparatus.
While the data released by the Aceh Human Rights NGO Coalition, said about 46 people died (two died while undergoing treatment at RSUZA Banda Aceh), 156 suffered gunshot wounds, and 10 were missing in the incident.
Although many parties forget the event, not for the victims. Jamaluddin, for example, is still remembered by the most cruel tragedy of his life. Jamal, birth of Sawang, Aceh Utara tells us that when the incident happened, he saw a lot of gunshot victims who collapsed. Jamal also heard crying cry from mothers and fathers who saw the citizens shot.
Jamal himself confessed, during the tragedy, the bodies of citizens who got shot fell over him. With the remaining energy available, the corpses are taken and placed in a proper place. Jamal confessed, not knowing what to say at the time. Jamal, himself escaped death.Jamal hopes the Government of Aceh did not forget the incident. If this is a human rights violation, the perpetrator must be prosecuted. That is why justice for the victims.
Before Genesis
Friday night, April 30, 1999, At around 20.30 pm the community of Cot Murong Village, Dewantara District, held a grand meeting to commemorate 1 Muharram which coincided with 30 April 1999. By the security, the 1 Muharram warning that is usually organized by the Islamic community anywhere in the whole Aceh Province, referred to as a lecture of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Then came the news that a member of the TNI from Unity Den Rudal Unit 001 / Pulo Rungkom Sergeant, named Adityawarman, disappeared during the infiltration in the middle of lecture activities (Description Kapuspen TNI, the name of the missing member is Sergeant Chief Edi, from Den Missile 001 / Pulo Rungkom, North Aceh).
It is not clear whether members of the TNI were completely lost or other possibilities occurred, but certainly none of the population knew of its existence. And certainly again, that night nothing happened in Cot Murong Village.
Saturday night, May 1st, 1999
A military truck from the Units of Missile Missile 001 / Pulo Rungkom circled the Cot Murong Village area with unclear activity, but that day nothing happened.
Sunday morning, May 2, 1999
Starting at 05.00 am the troops of the Missile Den 001 / Pulo Rungkom started operations in Cot Murong Village area. On that Sunday morning people were preparing for the feeding of orphans in connection with the 1 Muharram commemoration held since Friday night before. The community cut 4 cows in the yard of Al-Abror Mosque, Cot Murong.
At that time, at around 11:00 am came the troops of the missile to the place of kenduri and on the pretext of asking the missing members the day before began to care for the local residents. It was reported that at that time there were no less than 20 people who were persecuted by TNI members. The practice of violence and abuse by acting violently, slapping and beating until injury, has occurred.
When the action was launched, the residents briefly recorded the words issued by TNI members "WE WILL SHOOT ALL PEOPLE WHEN A MEMBER OF OUR MEMBER IS NOT FOUND".
Recognizing the alarming condition, residents from the village of Murong and surrounding villages such as West Lancang Village, Nisam District and Paloh Lada, consisting of youth, women, parents and children gathered to prevent further possible persecution, the military apparatus has issued quite a daunting threat.
Suddenly, at 13.00 pm came another troop consisting of 7 trucks members of the TNI to the location of kenduri. Seeing that, people who have gathered from various parts of the District try to block.
Exactly at 14.00 pm, there was a negotiation between the Dewantara and Danramil Dewantara sub-districts known to the MUI Kecamatan, whose contents were: "The TNI will not come to Cot Murong Village for any reason".
Current Events
Sunday night, May 2, 1999. Villagers are aware of TNI infiltration between the hours of 20:00 pm until dawn to Cot Murong Village and West Lancang Village. Even residents also know of a boat that is estimated to belong to the military trying to make a landing on the beach Village Cot Murong, but canceled because terlanjur known by local residents. Until that time nothing happened, but the anxiety of the population grew, and from then on they all began to gather until Monday morning.
Monday morning, May 3, 1999.
Exactly at 09.00 am, 4 trucks of TNI troops came again into West Lancang Village, the village of Cot Murong. The mass of the assembled people felt anxious and began to arm themselves with wood and machetes (without firearms). Then came the Head of Dewantara, Drs. Marzuki Amin to KKA Simpang and start negotiating with the TNI apparatus. The authorities insist and negotiate stuck. The Camat still holds the previous agreement which has been agreed upon by the community with the Dewantara Koramil which in essence the TNI no longer operates in their area. The negotiations lasted long enough. The time of sudaah shows almost at 12.00 WIB.
To show the seriousness of the heart and the enormous plea for the troops to be withdrawn immediately and the TNI to honor the agreement that has been made, Marzuki Amin Camat had time to remove the title from his chest. But instead the Camat was then beaten by soldiers.
At that moment suddenly a truck belonging to the TNI moves and passes, from the truck of the soldiers throwing stones at the people, and the people who are drawn back throw stones at the truck. At about the same time a member of the army ran towards the bushes and the people who were hooked after him. Suddenly from the direction of the bush was heard a gunshot. The weapon's eruption was like a "commando" followed by a barrage of attacks. The slaughter began immediately. Exactly at 12:30 pm.
Current Events.
At 12:30 pm, the rumbling and shouting of humans meets KKA Simpang. Thousands of people ran to avoid attacks from the TNI. Two journalists RCTI (Umar HN and Said Kaban) who happened to have been in the place had recorded important moments that occurred either with photos or video. It can be said that the recordings have become one of the most accurate and undeniable proofs of how events really are.
The shot is done without warning in advance and with a combat ready position. Soldiers in front of squatting and who were in the back row stood. In addition, soldiers who were on the truck also continued to fire while performing combat movements. At that time the residents who no longer had time to run to do down but kept being fired.
In addition to shooting in the future, the TNI also directed gunfire to people's homes, so many residents who were inside the house also became victims. They even chased and entered people's homes and carried out massacres there.
During the shooting the soldiers were also shouting. The most commonly spoken sentence is "I will kill all the people of Aceh". In the action of the massacre, 45 deaths were killed, 156 others were injured mostly by gunshot wounds, and 10 of them missing to this day do not know where they are. Many residents who have been shot and can not run away are still being bombarded by soldiers from behind. They really do slaughter like a party.