More GAM negotiators get jail terms<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Nanggroe
\nAceh Darussalam<\/p>\n
The Banda Aceh District Court sentenced on Wednesday two
\nnegotiators for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Nashiruddin Ahmad
\nand Kamaruzzaman, to 13 years in prison each for treason and acts
\nof terrorism.<\/p>\n
\"The defendants have been proven guilty of committing treason
\nand helping their accomplices commit acts of terrorism,\" said
\npresiding judge Maratuo Rambe while reading out the verdict.<\/p>\n
Both defendants have appealed.<\/p>\n
During the peace talks between GAM and the Indonesian
\ngovernment, Nashiruddin was appointed as the deputy chairman of
\nthe Joint Security Committee (JSC) set up by the two warring
\nparties through the mediation of Switzerland-based Henry Dunant
\nCentre (HDC), while Kamaruzzaman was appointed the JSC's
\nverification head.<\/p>\n
The negotiations resulted in the Cessation of Hostilities
\nAgreement (COHA), which was signed on Dec. 9, 2002, and led to a
\nsignificant reduction in violence.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors had demanded 16 years in jail for each of the
\ndefendants.<\/p>\n
The same court convicted on Tuesday three other GAM
\nnegotiators -- Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba, Amni Ahmad Marzuki and
\nMuhamad Usman Lampo Awe, and sentenced them to 15 years, 13,
\nyears and 12 years in jail respectively.<\/p>\n
The five GAM negotiators, who had represented the rebels since
\nthe Humanitarian Pause Agreement three years ago, were arrested
\ndays before the imposition of martial law in the province on May
\n19 this year.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the court also sentenced women's activist Cut
\nNurasyikin to 11 years in prison for treason on account of her
\ncampaigning for an independence referendum in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The conviction of the peace negotiators has sparked concern in
\nthe HDC, which said it feared the verdicts would prevent dialog
\nin Aceh and elsewhere.<\/p>\n
\"It may dissuade individuals from coming forward to negotiate
\nand resolve conflict through dialog,\" the HDC said in a statement
\nmade available to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The HDC called on both GAM and the Indonesian government to
\nwork toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Aceh.<\/p>\n
In a related development, a group of unidentified gunmen shot
\ndead a police officer, First Brig. Darwin, his mother Rahmah, 55,
\nhis sister Wahyuni, 36 and his uncle, 46, in Pulo Panjo village,
\nBaro Pidie district, some 140 kilometers east of Banda Aceh, on
\nTuesday night.<\/p>\n
Darwin's grandmother Hafsah, 70, who suffered a gunshot wound
\nto her left leg, survived the attack.<\/p>\n
Pidie Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Salim said GAM was
\nresponsible for the killings.<\/p>\n
\"Two years ago, Darwin's father was shot dead by GAM for
\nallowing Darwin to join the police,\" Agus said.<\/p>\n
GAM leaders could not be reached for comment on the incident.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-gam-negotiators-get-jail-terms-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }