Govt starts prosecuting alleged GAM members<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As part of the government's campaign to end separatism in
\nAceh, the state has begun prosecuting 18 alleged members of the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) for treason and terrorism.<\/p>\n
All of the suspects were arrested after the government
\nlaunched a military operation in Aceh on May 16.<\/p>\n
Those arrested include five GAM negotiators from the collapsed
\npeace talks with the government. They were identified as Teuku
\nKamaruzzaman, Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba, Muhammad Usman Lampoh Awe,
\nNashiruddin bin Ahmad and Amni bin Marzuki.<\/p>\n
Attorney General M.A. Rachman confirmed that the five GAM
\nnegotiators were among the 18 suspects whose dossiers were
\ncurrently being processed by his office.<\/p>\n
The five GAM negotiators will be charged with treason and
\nterrorism under the new antiterrorism law, because their
\nsubordinates were allegedly involved in several bombings. If
\nconvicted they could face the death penalty.<\/p>\n
Those suspects not believed to be core members of the
\nseparatist group will be charged with treason under the Criminal
\nCode.<\/p>\n
Rachman said his office had sent additional prosecutors to
\nAceh to expedite the proceedings, and would soon send in more
\nprosecutors as needed.<\/p>\n
\"We can always deploy prosecutors from other areas, including
\nfrom Jakarta,\" he told reporters after briefing hundreds of
\nprosecutors from across the country at his office on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Also attending the briefing were Coordinating Minister for
\nSecurity and Political Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, National
\nPolice chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and Minister of Home Affairs Hari
\nSabarno.<\/p>\n
Rachman said his office had assigned more than 50 prosecutors
\nto Aceh. Fifteen of the prosecutors will come North Sumatra and
\nthe other 35 will come from other neighboring provinces, as well
\nas from the Attorney General's Office in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The Aceh Prosecutor's Office, as with other government
\ninstitutions in Aceh, has been unable to work normally because of
\nthe deteriorating security situation in the province since the
\ncollapse of the peace agreement.<\/p>\n
Among the 14 district courts in the province, only three of
\nthem are hearing cases. However, only the Banda Aceh District
\nCourt currently has the ability to hear cases involving suspected
\nGAM members because the other two courts have a shortage of
\njudges.<\/p>\n
The situation is similar in the province's prosecutor's
\noffices.<\/p>\n
The prosecution of the alleged GAM members is aimed at
\nmaintaining law enforcement in Aceh, which is part of the
\ngovernment's integrated operation in the province.<\/p>\n
The integrated operation covers law enforcement, humanitarian
\nprograms, the restoration of local administrations and the
\nmilitary operation.<\/p>\n
In Banda Aceh, the Aceh Police Headquarters has named another
\n43 people as suspected GAM members and will soon submit dossiers
\non them to the provincial prosecutor's office.<\/p>\n
\"We will submit their cases to the prosecutor's office in the
\nnear future,\" Aceh Police chief Insp. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He also said the police had released seven of the 12
\nuniversity students arrested several days ago for their alleged
\nties to GAM.<\/p>\n
\"We are still questioning the rest,\" the officer said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-starts-prosecuting-alleged-gam-members-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }