GAM negotiators face terrorism charges
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Three of five former negotiators of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) went on trial on Tuesday at the Banda Aceh District Court in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam on charges of terrorism, for which they could face the death sentence if convicted.
Government prosecutors brought the three defendants to court in a marathon trial with separate judges and laid down a triple charge against the defendants, who were said to know GAM's plans to bomb specific targets, to fight for an independent Aceh with violence and acts of terror and to form its own civilian government.
They said the defendants acted in violation of Articles 7 to 12 of Law No. 15/2003 and Article 65 of the Criminal Code on subversion, which carry a maximum death sentence.
Teuku Kamaruzzaman, Teuku Muhamad Usman and Amni bin Ahmad Marzuki went to trial yesterday, with the remaining two -- Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba and Nasiruddin bin Achmed -- set to stand trial on Thursday.
"The terror acts that claimed a great number of victims and caused massive destruction to public facilities and vital assets include mass killings, kidnapping, burning schools, extortion and gathering an arsenal of weaponry," government prosecutor Ohara Pudjo said during the trial of Kamaruzzaman.
He said that in his capacity as negotiator, the defendant should have made concerted efforts to subdue the escalating violence and comply with the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed by the government and GAM on Dec. 9, 2002 in Geneva, under the mediation of the Henry Dunant Centre.
The three responded that they were confused by the prosecutors' indictments.
Kamaruzzaman said the charges the prosecutor laid against him had no relation to his role as negotiator.
"The charges are not relevant to my task as a negotiator in the peace talks between GAM and the Indonesian government," he said.
Usman denied committing acts of terror and said, "I won't be made a scapegoat for those committing such acts," referring to government forces.
Usman also questioned as to why only GAM negotiators had been brought to court, because if the peace agreement was considered a crime, Indonesian negotiators who also took part in the peace talks should also be tried in the name of fairness.
The defendants' lawyers requested seven days to have adequate time to prepare their legal defense.
Rufriadi, one of the legal team representing the defendants, said after the court session that the prosecutors' charges were unclear and irrelevant, because his clients did not commit those violations raised by the prosecutors.
The GAM negotiators were arrested on May 19, the day martial law was imposed and the military offensive launched to wipe out the separatists, as well as to restore security and order in the war-torn province.