Faxes, daily instructions among evidence against GAM
Faxes, daily instructions among evidence against GAM
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Government representatives are leaving for Sweden this weekend
with proof they believe shows Aceh Free Movement (GAM) leaders
living in Sweden are involved in rebellion and terror attacks in
Indonesia.
This mission will be the fourth in three years attempting to
convince Sweden to take action against the GAM leaders.
Speaking to reporters after meeting President Megawati
Soekarnoputri on Friday, government representative Brig. Gen.
Haryanto Sutadi said the evidence should be enough to initiate
legal proceeding against GAM leaders.
"There are faxes, daily instructions, declarations and a
number of documents that should comply with Swedish standards of
legal evidence," said Haryanto, the criminal director at National
Police Headquarters.
He said the documents showed there was a clear line of command
from the GAM leaders in Sweden to GAM field commanders in Aceh.
Several GAM leaders, namely Hasan Tiro, Zaini Abdullah and
Malik Mahmood, have been living in exile in Stockholm for years.
Some have become Swedish nationals.
"We are not asking for their extradition. We are only trying
to convince Stockholm that GAM is a rebel group and has conducted
a series of terror activities here. We will ask them to do
something according to their domestic law," Haryanto said.
In line with the imposition of martial law in the province,
Jakarta has increased pressure on Stockholm to take legal action
against the GAM leaders.
Stockholm has said they can not take action against citizens
who have not committed crimes.
Another team member, international law expert Hikmahanto
Juwana, said the team would only be asking that Sweden restrict
the activities of the GAM leaders in issuing instructions to
leaders in Aceh.
Other members of the team, led by former foreign minister Ali
Alatas, include Foreign Affairs director general for America and
Europe Arizal Effendi, ministry director for America, Europe
cooperation Retno Lestari, ministry director for Human Rights and
Social Affairs I Gusti Agung Wasekapujo and State Intelligence
Agency (BIN) representative B.E.J. Sofyan.
The team is scheduled to meet Swedish officials, including
Prime Minister Goran Persson and return to Jakarta on Thursday.
Ali Alatas said the team was not aiming to create friction,
but would merely ask for help.
"We are not trying to create a dispute with Sweden, we just
hope that they can cooperate with us."