Acehnese Gather In Provincial Capital To Welcome Hasan Tiro

Banda Aceh ( Berita ) :  A multitude of people from various districts in Aceh have started to converge on the  provincial capital of Banda Aceh to welcome former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leader Hasan Tiro who was expected to arrive on Saturday, October 11, 2008.

People from Aceh’s  eastern coastal areas  and other districts such as Pidie, Pidie Jaya, Bireuen, North Aceh, and East Aceh have started arriving here since Thursday in trucks, minibuses and other motor vesicles.

“We have come here at our own expense just to meet Hasan Tiro in person,” said M Fakri, a resident of North Aceh district. Tiro who is now a Finnish citizen is expected to visit  Aceh for two weeks starting on Saturday. “Hasan Tiro will spend most of his time in his birth place in Pidie district,” Aceh Party spokesman Adnan Beuransyhah said here on Friday.

Adnan said  from Sultan Iskandar Muda airport Hasan Tiro would head to Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf’s residence and later  meet  local people at the Baiturahman grand mosque.

Aceh Transitional Committee (KPA) spokesman Abu Razak said earlier  a 60-man special task force would be deployed to ensure security during Hasan Tiro’s visit. “To ensure security during Hasan Tiro’s visit, KPA will deploy a 60-man task force in uniform and 300 other personnel with special identity cards,” Abu Razak said here on Tuesday.

He made the statement after a closed-door meeting to coordinate preparations for  Hasan Tiro’s return to Aceh. The meeting was led by Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) provincial administration official Said Mustafa, and attended by Iskandar Muda Military Command officials, Aceh police officials, and a number of KPA officials.

 Abu Razak said he had  coordinated the KPA’s security plan with Aceh police because special security arrangements  were the responsibility of the law-enforcing agencies, including the police. ( ant )