TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) have been accused of using violence against civilians involved in a humanitarian aid convoy to Aceh Tamiang, an area affected by flooding.
The incident reportedly occurred in North Aceh on Thursday, December 25, 2025, as volunteers traveled while displaying the crescent-star flag associated with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Head of the Indonesian Army Information Service Colonel Donny Pramono rejected claims circulating on social media that TNI personnel had beaten flood survivors.
He said the incident took place during a joint TNI-Police security operation conducted between December 25 and 26, 2025, along the Banda Aceh–Medan highway, near the border of North Aceh and Bireuen regencies.
According to Donny, the operation was intended to prevent mass convoys from carrying and displaying the crescent-star flag, which he said is prohibited under Indonesian law due to its association with separatist movements and its potential to undermine security stability.
“The friction that occurred was spontaneous and resulted from provocations in the field. It was not a planned or intentional act to harm civilians,” Donny told Tempo on Friday, December 26, 2025.
He said officers initially carried out the operation in a persuasive and humane manner, including stopping vehicles for routine inspections.
However, Donny claimed the situation escalated when members of the crowd provoked, pushed, and assaulted security personnel. He added that both the Lhokseumawe Police Chief and the Commander of Military District 0103/North Aceh were among those who were pushed and struck during the confrontation.
Donny said the situation was later brought under control through dialogue and mediation between authorities and convoy coordinators, with both sides agreeing that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding.
“We urge the public to view this incident in its entirety, not through fragmented video clips or narrative texts that could lead to misperceptions,” he said, adding that the TNI remains committed to a humane approach, prioritizing dialogue while ensuring security stability so that disaster relief and post-flood recovery efforts can continue.
Accounts From Residents and Witnesses
However, residents and human rights groups offered a different account of the incident. Aid efforts by residents of Krueng Mane, North Aceh, were reportedly disrupted on the night of December 25 after authorities stopped a convoy of aid trucks en route to Aceh Tamiang to inspect their cargo and attributes, particularly the crescent-star flag.
Tensions escalated, resulting in what witnesses described as repressive actions by security forces. At least five civilians were reportedly injured.
Several videos that later went viral on social media appear to show individuals in green camouflage uniforms, accompanied by others wearing police vests, assaulting civilians near a line of halted vehicles at night.
One video shows several uniformed individuals repeatedly striking a person until they collapse. Another clip shows armed personnel hitting a civilian, while a third video depicts a man in camouflage striking someone as another individual lies wounded inside a vehicle with visible head injuries.
One of the victims, who suffered a head laceration allegedly caused by a rifle butt, said he was not carrying the crescent-star flag at the time.
The victim, a resident of Gampong Alue Kuta, Jangka District, Bireuen Regency, said he and a group of volunteers from various areas were traveling to Aceh Tamiang to deliver aid to flood victims when the incident occurred.
Amnesty International Calls for Investigation
Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid called for an independent investigation into the alleged violence. He said the actions, if confirmed, would constitute a serious human rights violation.
“The repressive actions allegedly carried out by the joint TNI-Police forces against volunteers seeking to distribute humanitarian aid reflect an abuse of power,” Usman said in a written statement on Friday, December 26, 2025.
“Humanitarian initiatives were met with raids, restrictions on flag expression, beatings, kicks, and the use of firearms.”
Eka Yudha Saputra contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: Probe Sought Into TNI Violence Against Free Aceh Movement Flag Bearers
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