Govt gives go ahead for GAM to celebrate anniversary
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The former Aceh rebels will be free to celebrate the anniversary of their movement on Sunday as long as it does not rekindle separatism, the government says.
Minister of Communications and Information Sofyan Djalil said on Tuesday that the government would hold talks with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders and foreign monitors to make sure that the celebrations would not be geared toward promoting independence.
"Provided that they do not stage activities that trigger public emotion, which is against the truce, then the government has no objection," said Sofyan, one of the government negotiators in the peace talks with GAM.
The government and GAM inked a peace agreement on Aug. 18 that requires the former insurgents to drop their long-held demand for an independent state in Aceh. GAM was established on Dec. 4, 1976.
On Monday, the military in Aceh warned GAM against commemorating its anniversary, saying it would spoil the spirit of peace.
Sofyan said the government would allow GAM to celebrate its anniversary if it was held "to thank God for peace in Aceh and assess the implementation of the truce".
Previously, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto had said the government would not tolerate any hoisting of GAM flags during the celebrations.
Sofyan, however, expressed optimism that GAM would not put the peace deal at stake.
The government also said that the GAM leadership in Sweden would be welcome to come to Aceh to share in the celebrations.
"If they hold foreign nationality, as long as they secure visas it will be fine for them to participate in the celebrations here. Bakhtiar and Nur Djuli have visited Aceh and we have no problem with that," Sofyan said, referring to GAM leaders in exile Bakhtiar Abdullah, who lives in Sweden, and Mohammed Nur Djuli, who resides in Malaysia.
Sofyan said that GAM still existed and would only be dissolved after all points of the peace agreement had been implemented.
In Banda Aceh, GAM spokesman Sofyan Dawood said the celebrations would not involve either military-style parades or flag hoisting ceremonies.
"They will be modest ceremonies in which we will only say prayers to thank God and disseminate the contents of the peace deal to the public," Dawood said.
GAM will hold a ceremony in every regency and town across Aceh, but Dawood said the group had yet to decide when the celebration would take place in Banda Aceh.
He said GAM would seek permission from the police and the Aceh Monitoring Mission.
Under the Freedom of Expression Law, anything that involves an public assembly must be informed to the police three days in advance at the latest.
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto warned GAM not to try to turn the anniversary celebrations into a new attempt to secure Acehnese independence.
"Do not misuse the celebrations to promote a new separatist movement in Aceh," he said.