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.