GAM urges monitors to protect ex-rebels

GAM urges monitors to protect ex-rebels

Tiarma Siboro and Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Aceh

Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in the field said they were ready
to surrender their weapons and come down from the mountains, but
urged the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) to ensure their safely
during their reintegration into society.

"I have made contact with our leaders in exile and we, the GAM
guerrillas in the field, will follow their policy even if we have
to decommission our weapons," GAM spokesman Sofyan Dawood said on
Thursday.

"But the AMM should be responsible for our safety once we put
down our weapons. They must draw up the rules for dealing GAM
members who receive a pardon (from the Indonesian government),"
Sofyan told The Jakarta Post and several other journalists at his
base in Aceh.

The government and GAM signed a peace agreement on Monday in
Helsinki after six months of talks. The agreement aims to end
three decades of conflict in the resource-rich province that has
killed some 15,000 people, mostly civilians.

Under the deal, the separatists agreed to drop their demand
for independence in exchange for a form of local self-government
and to disarm and demobilize their 3,000 troops beginning on
Sept. 15.

The government promised an amnesty for rebels, to allow the
creation of local political parties and to withdraw non-regular
military soldiers and police officers from the province by the
end of the year. An amnesty is due to be granted to GAM members
and political prisoners within two weeks after the signing of the
peace deal.

The AMM, which groups some 200 unarmed peace monitors from the
European Union and five member countries of the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), will monitor the implementation
of the peace accord.

Some observers have said the successful implementation of the
peace agreement will rely heavily on the peace monitors, because
the surrendering of GAM's weapons and the reintegration of the
rebels into society will require careful handling.

The latest peace accord faced its first test on Wednesday when
plainclothes police officers threatened some 48 guerrillas who
were released from Jantho Penitentiary in Aceh Besar regency.
This created panic among some prisoners and their awaiting family
members. The police are investigating the case.

The prisoners were released after receiving remissions in
conjunction with the country's Independence Day. Another 1,482
GAM prisoners will be released soon as part of the peace accord.

"The AMM must protect former GAM prisoners. They (the peace
monitors) could even pick them up as they are being released from
jail," Sofyan said.

Led by Pieter Feith from the Netherlands, the AMM has set up
its headquarters in Banda Aceh and offices in Sigli, Bireuen,
Lhokseumawe, Langsa, Tapak Tuan, Blang Pidie, Meulaboh, Lamno,
Kutacane and Takengon.

The AMM has said that GAM must surrender and destroy about 840
weapons.

Sofyan said he had already asked troops not to carry their
weapons and not to attack government soldiers.

"We follow all of the policies taken by GAM political leaders.
The fate of the Helsinki peace pact will depend on the way the
Indonesian government deals with its security personnel and also
the militias," he said,

Progovernment militias, which are difficult to officially link
with the military, were blamed for the collapse of a 2002 truce.