Govt backs down on plan to list GAM as terror group

Govt backs down on plan to list GAM as terror group

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has backed down on its plan to have the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) listed as a terrorist organization by the United
Nations to avoid turning Aceh into an international issue.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday the government would
resolve the Aceh problem in its own way.

"We considered the option but we do not want to
internationalize the Aceh issue," Susilo said.

The government had repeatedly said that GAM could be included
on the UN list of terrorist organizations because its actions met
the necessary criteria.

The government has accused GAM rebels of perpetrating a series
of terrorist attacks in the country. The courts, however, have
yet to rule on GAM involvement in any terrorist act.

Jakarta submitted an official request for Stockholm to legally
prosecute GAM leaders living there, and provided evidence to back
up allegations that violent acts committed by GAM members here
were ordered by their leaders in Stockholm.

Listing GAM as an international terrorist group would oblige
UN members around the globe to arrest Acehnese rebel leaders and
freeze their assets. Most GAM leaders, including supreme leader
Hassan Tiro, reside in Sweden.

Susilo said Indonesia would continue with its own measures to
deal with GAM rebels, who have been fighting for independence for
the resource-rich province since 1970s. More than 10,000 people,
mostly civilians, have been killed since this fight for
independence began.

The government launched a military operation on May 19 this
year to wipe out the rebels from the country's westernmost
province.

Six months into the operation, the government has killed
about 1,000 alleged GAM rebels and arrested almost 2,000 others.
About 35,000 military soldiers and 14,000 police personnel have
been involved in the operation.

The government has decided to extend the operation for another
six months.

Susilo also said the government would continue pressing
Swedish authorities to proceed with the legal process against GAM
leaders residing in that country.

The minister said the government was not willing to open a new
round of talks with GAM as long as the rebels continued to
campaign for independence.

"We are not willing to open a dialog with organizations that
only ask for independence," he said.

GAM leaders in Sweden recently said they would not engage in
dialog with the Indonesian government as long as the latter
attached conditions.

"It is good for human rights activists, organizations and the
international community to pressure us to open another round of
talks. It is them (GAM) who refuse to return to the negotiating
table," the minister said.

"We used to believing what they say, but we no longer trust
them," he said.