RI accepts Sweden's decision on Tiro<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia accepts the Swedish prosecutors' decision to drop
\ncharges against Hasan Tiro, the exiled former chief of the
\nseparatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nHassan Wirayuda said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
But Hassan urged Sweden to continue the legal action against
\nthe self-styled GAM leaders Zaini Abdullah and Malik Mahmood.<\/p>\n
\"We can understand the decision because even in Indonesia,
\nanyone can evade charges due to the health reasons,\" Hassan told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
He said there were judicial systems in some countries in which
\nthe suspects who were not deemed of good health could not be
\nasked to be held responsible for something they had done in the
\npast.<\/p>\n
\"This is apparently the case with Tiro,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Stockholm's chief prosecutor Tomas Linstrand decided on Friday
\nto drop all charges against Tiro, claiming that he was now merely
\na moral authority for the movement.<\/p>\n
Jakarta, which has urged Stockholm to take action against the
\nthree, says they direct the revolt in the Indonesian province
\nfrom exile in Sweden.<\/p>\n
Tiro has been living in exile since 1979 and has become a
\nSwedish citizen.<\/p>\n
Sweden arrested Zaini and Malik last month. Tiro, 80, was not
\narrested due to his age but was declared a suspect by Sweden's
\nstate prosecutors.<\/p>\n
However, Zaini, who has Swedish citizenship and Malik, who has
\nSingaporean citizenship were released as prosecutors have not
\npresented enough evidence to justify their detention.<\/p>\n
Sweden's foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday that
\nIndonesia should not blame the Swedish government for the
\nprosecutors' decision.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia knows how the Swedish judicial system works,\"
\nforeign ministry spokesman Jan Janonius said as quoted by AFP,
\npointing out that the government does not meddle in the work of
\nprosecutors.<\/p>\n
GAM has been fighting since 1976 for independence for the
\nprovince of Aceh (Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam), located in the north
\nof Sumatra Island, which has a population of 4.2 million and
\nlarge oil and natural gas reserves.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military claims about 5,000 rebels have been
\nkilled, captured or have surrendered during the year-long
\noperation to crush GAM that ended in May.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-accepts-swedens-decision-on-tiro-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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