Detention period extended for GAM negotiators<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): The Aceh Police have extended the
\nperiod of detention of six negotiators from the separatist Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM) by another 40 days, reportedly for the sake
\nof facilitating further investigation and inquiry.<\/p>\n
Arie Maulana, a defense lawyer for the GAM negotiators, said
\non Sunday that the extension followed the expiry of their
\noriginal term of detention on Aug. 9, and was approved by the
\nAceh Prosecutor's Office despite an earlier government suggestion
\nthat they would be released.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the media in Jakarta last week that
\nPresident Megawati Sukarnoputri approved of the release of the
\nsix negotiators on condition that they abided by the prevailing
\nlaws.<\/p>\n
GAM circles had responded positively to the goodwill offer to
\nbring peace through dialog to the restive province and described
\nthe planned release as a precondition to further talks.<\/p>\n
Their optimism about achieving an amicable settlement was
\ndampened, however, as the six GAM representatives were not set
\nfree even after the recent visit of a ministerial team led by
\nSusilo to Aceh.<\/p>\n
According to Arie, who is also an executive of the Legal Aid
\nInstitute (LBH) in Banda Aceh, the GAM negotiators' arrest was
\ncontradictory to the government's policy of handling the Aceh
\nconflict through dialog.<\/p>\n
\"These negotiators should have been protected based on the
\nGeneva agreement between GAM and Indonesia and been given
\ndiplomatic immunity,\" Arie told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The six, Muhammad bin Usman, Amni bin Ahmad Marzuki,
\nNasiruddin bin Ahmed, Teuku Kamarruzaman, Amdi Hamdani and Sofyan
\nIbrahim Tiba, have been detained on charges of treason.<\/p>\n
Arie said the detainees were heavily guarded and their access
\nto communications and information was limited to reading
\nnewspapers in the waiting room.<\/p>\n
The Aceh Police only allowed their relatives to see the
\nsuspects while restricting visits by the team of lawyers and
\nother relevant parties, who were most recently denied entry last
\nweekend, he said.<\/p>\n
In spite of the legal aid team's protests against the police
\nmeasures, a duty officer would only say (on Sunday) that visits
\ncould be made starting on Monday.<\/p>\n
Arie explained that the LBH team members only wanted to
\nconsult with the GAM negotiators as their defense lawyers, but
\nthat the Aceh police had refused to grant them access.<\/p>\n
\"This is obviously an infringement of the suspects' rights as
\nstipulated in the criminal procedures code,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the renewed violence in the restive province on
\nSunday has claimed at least 15 lives, officials said on Monday.<\/p>\n
A total of seven male bodies with gunshot wounds were found in
\nIkue Lhueng village, Meukik district, South Aceh, on Sunday, said
\nSudarsono, the Aceh Police deputy spokesman for the current law
\nand order operation.<\/p>\n
The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) spokesman in South Aceh, Ayah
\nManggeng, charged that the victims were civilians who had been
\narrested by the police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) sometime ago.<\/p>\n
Sudarsono, however, said it was impossible for Brimob officers
\nto \"just kill people and get away with it\".<\/p>\n
\"All assignments given to the troops are very clear, and they
\nhave superiors and a chain of command to follow,\" Sudarsono said.
\n(50\/edt\/arp)<\/p>",
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