E/CN.4/2001/66 page 120 Human Rights Violations in Aceh, which was reportedly due to take place in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, from 4 to 6 November. He had reportedly been arrested because he was carrying documents relating to the conference. He is believed to be held at Nurussalam Police Sector (Polsek), and no charges had reportedly been brought against him. 613. On 2 November 2000, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders on behalf of Rusli and Sofyan, two volunteers with the People’s Crisis Centre, a human rights monitoring and humanitarian group, who had reportedly been arrested on 7 November 2000 by police officers with the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Aceh. They were said to be held at the Julok Police Sektor (Polsek) in Julok subdistrict in east Aceh. 614. On 7 December 2000, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression on behalf of Muhammad Nazar, a leading activist of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) who had reportedly been detained since 20 November 2000 at the Aceh Police Headquarters (Polda Aceh). He participated in the boycott of the celebration of Indonesian Independence Day on 17 August 2000. He was allegedly arrested for his participation in organizing a pro-independence rally in Banda Aceh on 10 and 11 November 2000. He was allegedly tortured while in police custody. Officers of the Police Mobile Brigade are reported to have threatened to kill him and to have thrown stones and water at him. He is reportedly being kept in a very small cell. 615. On 12 December 2000, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on behalf of a woman, Ernita, and two men, Idris and Bakhtiar, all three humanitarian aid volunteers working with the organization Rehabilitation Action for Torture victims in Aceh (RATA) who were reportedly murdered on 6 December. They, together with a fourth RATA volunteer, were transporting a torture victim from the vicinity of Cot Mat Tahe village, in north Aceh, to a hospital for medical treatment when they were stopped by plainclothes Indonesian security forces. The four RATA workers, along with the torture victim, were allegedly taken to a military vehicle and tortured. While one RATA worker reportedly managed to escape, the three others and the torture victim, were allegedly lined up on the road and shot in the head. It is believed that the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) and the military TNI were involved in the killing. The witness to the incident is reportedly in hiding. Observations 616. In the light of the failure of the Government to issue an invitation to visit the country, which he requested in 1993, by way of follow-up to his predecessor’s visit in 1991 (see E/CN.4/1992/17/Add.1), the Special Rapporteur deems it appropriate to present his assessment of the situation on the basis of information he has received over the years. Most of the information relates to the activities of the security forces in areas of irredentism and conflict, notably Aceh, Irian Jaya and Timor. Of course, the United Nations is now responsible for East Timor, with problems arising for those compelled to flee to West Timor, primarily oppressed by the entities which the security forces do not seem to have been willing to dismantle