Govt gives go ahead for GAM to celebrate anniversary
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.