GAM negotiators detained after peace talks in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): After attending peace talks with government representatives, six negotiators from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were detained by police on suspicion of subversion.

Aceh Law and Order Security spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Sad Harunantya confirmed the arrests of six GAM negotiators on Friday afternoon in the Kuala Tripa Hotel where they stayed during the three days of peace talks with representatives from the government.

"All were arrested in connection with separatism activities, but we are still questioning them on their roles in GAM," Harunantya said.

He said the arrests were based on Law No. 5/1981 and Article 106 and Article 263 on subversion.

Harunantya identified the detained negotiators as Teungku Nashiruddin bin Ahmad, Amni bin Marzuki, Amdi bin Hamdani, T. Kamaruzzaman, Nasrullah Dahlawi and T. Mahmud.

The six men, all members of the Joint Security Committee for Security Affairs (KBMK), stayed at the hotel to attend meetings with the Indonesian delegation, led by Sr. Comr. Ridwan Karim, to discuss an establishment of a democracy council.

The results of their meeting would be used as input for a further round of Indonesian-GAM talks in Geneva, Switzerland in September.

Harunantyo also said the arrests were based on the fact that the committee was suspended from July 5.

"It means that they are no longer functioning (as negotiators) and their actual status makes them rebels," the officer said.

Harunantya said police also confiscated "supporting evidence", such as several GAM flags, combat fatigues, video cassettes, fake passports, pornographic magazines and several documents from the six men.

When asked whether other GAM members were also involved in the joint committee with the government representatives, Harunantya said, "Principally, those who are involved in separatism activities will be questioned."

Later in the day, Aceh Besar Police raided the office of Aceh's Legal Aid Foundation, during which 15 human rights activists were also arrested.

The activists, including Australian Kim Louise and American Patrick McInnis, were questioned at Aceh Besar Police Headquarters and released several hours later.

"They were released after we questioned them. The interrogation was related to their actions in the campaign of Pekan Anti Militer (antimilitary week), which was held in front of their office," Aceh Besar Police chief Sayed Hoesainy said.

The separatist group has been fighting for an independent Islamic state since the mid-1970s.

The peace talks between rebels and government representatives were sponsored by the Geneva-based Henry Dunant Center, which has mediated discussions between the two sides in Switzerland over the past 18 months.

In Geneva, a spokesman for the center told AP news agency that one of their monitors had gone to the police headquarters with those detained.

"We are concerned about the implications of this incident for the talks," spokesman Andy Andrea said. "For the benefit of both the police and the people being questioned it is important to ensure that there is an independent monitor." (50/edt/emf)