Govt considers asking UN to put GAM on terror list

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian government plans to ask the United Nations to put the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels on the list of terrorist groups, citing various acts of terror perpetrated by the organization in the country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Monday the country had a lot of evidence of GAM's role in sparking a series of terror attacks in Indonesia.

"We are considering a move to have GAM listed as a terrorist group," Hassan said after a Cabinet meeting.

He said the government was calculating the consequences of pushing for the inclusion of GAM in the UN list.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar agreed with Hassan.

"GAM has been involved in several bombings of public places, which can be considered indiscriminate acts of violence and therefore an act of terror," Da'i said.

He said some of the suspects in the bombings from 2000 to 2002 admitted that there was a line of command from GAM leaders in Sweden.

"Basically, they (GAM leaders) are responsible for these acts of terror," Da'i said.

The government has repeatedly told the international community that GAM has committed two major offenses in the country, namely rebellion and terrorism.

Along with the imposition of martial law in Aceh to crush the separatist movement, the government has mounted attempts to contain GAM both physically and diplomatically through all means available.

The inclusion of GAM in the UN terrorist list, according to UN resolution 1373/2000 on counterterrorism, will oblige all member countries to freeze the group's economic resources, to halt possible military operations of members of the group.

Sri Lanka has provided an example to Indonesia as the South Asian country has had the Tiger Tamil separatist rebels included in the list of terrorist groups.

Da'i said that the most obvious evidence the police had of GAM involvement in terror activities in the country, was the bombing of the Jakarta Stock Exchange in 2000, Cijantung Mall in South Jakarta in 2001 and a series of bombings in Medan, North Sumatra.

"It proves that they attacked public places. If they had limited their actions to government buildings it would have been different," the police chief said.