House delays amnesty for GAM prisoners<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Bandung\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite amnesty being a part of the peace agreement between the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) and the government, GAM prisoners will
\nnot be released this week pending approval from the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin said on
\nThursday the government expected to meet lawmakers on Aug.
\n23 at the latest to discuss the amnesty issue.<\/p>\n
Article 14 (2) of the amended 1945 Constitution states the
\nPresident shall grant amnesty by taking into account the opinion
\nof the House.<\/p>\n
Usually, the process takes a long time.<\/p>\n
However, based on the peace accord signed on Aug. 15 by the
\ngovernment and Aceh rebel leaders in the Finnish capital
\nHelsinki, all GAM prisoners shall be released within two weeks
\nafter the signing.<\/p>\n
\"We need to have a presidential decree for the amnesty after
\na meeting with the House. We want the prisoners to arrive back in
\nAceh by Aug. 31,\" Hamid told the press during his visit to the
\nSukamiskin prison in Bandung, West Java, aimed partially at
\ndisseminating information on the peace pact.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Agung Laksono separately said the House's
\nconsultative body would be responsible for organizing discussions
\nfor the House to make a decision on amnesty for the GAM
\nprisoners.<\/p>\n
The body holds a weekly session on Thursdays. However, it did
\nnot have a meeting on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Member Jacobus Karlo Mayongpadang from the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the body was scheduled
\nto organize a meeting, to be attended by all House and faction
\nleaders, on Friday to discuss the amnesty issue.<\/p>\n
But he said his faction would not give its approval until the
\ngovernment held a meeting with the House to explain the details
\nof the peace accord to end nearly three decades of separatist
\nfighting in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"This is a consequence of what the government has done by
\nkeeping the negotiations (with GAM) secret without proper
\nconsultation with the House. They seem to consider the House
\ntheir subordinate,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jacobus said the government should not have provided such a
\nshort period to determine such a vital issue affecting the nation
\nas a whole.<\/p>\n
\"The government had said the talks were informal, but now the
\nresults seem to be legally binding, thus forcing the House to
\napprove them,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Hamid further said the justice ministry would send all the GAM
\nprisoners, serving prison terms across Java, to Jakarta by land
\ntransportation after their release. They would later be flown to
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
There are currently a total of 1,428 GAM members imprisoned
\nacross the country, with as many as 487 of them serving time in
\npenitentiaries around Java, where they were sent in a bid to
\n\"boost their nationalist spirit\".<\/p>\n
Sukamiskin Penitentiary alone is home to 18 GAM prisoners,
\nincluding T. Kamaruzzaman, M. Usman Lampo Awe and Amni bin Ahmad
\nMarzuki -- all rebel negotiators for peace talks in Tokyo that
\nproduced the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in 2002.<\/p>\n
The three were arrested after the breakdown of the agreement
\nin 2003.<\/p>\n
Kamaruzzaman and Usman said that they still did not know what
\nthey would do after their release. \"We need to see the conditions
\nlater,\" said Usman, adding that they would contact the GAM
\nleaders in Sweden for assistance.<\/p>\n
Amni, however, said he would return to his hometown of
\nLhokseumawe to restart his business.<\/p>\n
Hamid said the government would allow the GAM inmates to
\ndecide whether to stay in Java or return to their hometowns in
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
A number of GAM prisoners had raised concern over their safety
\nafter being granted amnesty.<\/p>\n
Among the inmates who were concerned was Ahmad, who was
\nconvicted of involvement with the GAM. \"I'm worried about my
\nsafety when I return home.\"<\/p>\n
In response, Hamid said GAM prisoners deserved protection
\nafter their release.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-delays-amnesty-for-gam-prisoners-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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