GAM not terrorist organization: Legislators

GAM not terrorist organization: Legislators

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Legislators and human rights activists lashed out at the
government for branding the Aceh separatist rebels terrorists,
saying the move would only be used to justify a large-scale
military operation in the natural resource-rich province.

"The use of the word "terrorist" to describe GAM is out of
proportion," said T. Syaiful Achmad, coordinator of the 12
Acehnese legislators, here on Friday. He was referring to the
Free Aceh Movement, which has been fighting for an independent
state since mid-1970.

Fellow legislator Ahmad Farhan Hamid suggested the government
avoid the use of a "foreign phrase" because it could invite
outside elements, including the United States and European Union,
to meddle in the conflict.

Rights activist Munir wanted to know if the stigmatization of
GAM was aimed at winning U.S. support for the Indonesian Military
(TNI).

"This label is not going to solve the problems in Aceh, but
rather will be used to justify a repressive military operation
there," said Munir, who now heads the Impartial organization,
which has as its aims the study of an equitable transition to
democracy.

Munir claimed that the present government had no desire to
learn from the nation's history, especially as regards Aceh.

Past rulers, from the Dutch colonial government to President
Sukarno and President Soeharto, had all adopted iron-fisted
military approaches to dealing with the Aceh problem, but to no
avail.

Over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the
conflict since 1976, including over 500 this year alone.

Munir said those facts should prompt the current government to
evaluate its pro-military policies in Aceh.

In yet another hint that the government intends to crush GAM
militarily, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday labeled the
separatist group as a terrorist organization.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, the minister revealed he had
asked the Aceh Military Command to take all necessary steps to
deal with the terrorism in Aceh.

Aceh military commander Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf has estimated
the number of GAM members at about 1,700.

The Aceh legislators urged the government to clarify Susilo's
statement. They suspected that Jakarta was only following in the
footsteps of certain other countries without having a clear
understanding of what was at stake.

The U.S. has branded the Al-Qaeda group in Afghanistan as
terrorists, while in the Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has
done the same in respect of the Abu Sayyaf rebel group. Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has also branded Palestinian fighters
terrorists.

"GAM is just a group of Acehnese who are struggling for
independence," said Syaiful Achmad of the Reform faction.

He suggested that the government focus on armed civilians and
force them to surrender their weapons.

Farhan Hamid, who chairs the Reform faction, regretted the
government's moves, saying that currently the government and GAM
should be bracing themselves for an all inclusive dialog as a
follow-up to their peace talks in Geneva last May.

During the talks, the government and GAM agreed that Law No.
18/2001 on Aceh as a special autonomous province could be used as
a starting point for resolving the Aceh problem.

The law allows Aceh to partially implement sharia and retain a
much greater share of its oil and gas revenues.

But many say that whatever progress was made has been spoiled
by military operations in the province.

According to Farhan, the latest developments only showed the
public that there has been an internal struggle in the Indonesian
Military (TNI) between the moderates and hard-liners.

Teuku Muhammad Nurlif of Golkar meanwhile suggested that the
government set up a national commission to follow up on the
results of the peace agreement reached in Geneva.

Munir added that instead of intensifying military operations,
the government should bring human rights violators to trial as
justice was all that most Acehnese people were seeking.