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Aceh police officer

removed over rights abuse

JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities have removed a senior Aceh police officer from his post and laaunched and investigation against him following allegations of human rights abuses, reports said in Tuesday.

Colonel Yusuf Muharram was removed as head of a police task force set up in Aceh to restore security there, National Police Chief Lieutenant General Rusdiharjo said, according to the Jakarta Post daily.

"We are probing the case to determine whether a crime bas been committed or whether it was simply a casi of wrongful judgement," Rusdiharjo said.

Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid while in Hong Kong on Sunday said he had asked Rusdiharjo to replace Muharram,a former police chief in East Timor.

Wahid claimed Muharram had ordered the burning of people, houses and schools in Aceh but gave no details. He also said he had asked the national police chief to also initiate a probe in view of the allegations.ÑAFP