GAM negotiators detained after peace talks in Aceh

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)