House delays amnesty for GAM prisoners

House delays amnesty for GAM prisoners

The Jakarta Post, Bandung/Jakarta

Despite amnesty being a part of the peace agreement between the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the government, GAM prisoners will
not be released this week pending approval from the House of
Representatives.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin said on
Thursday the government expected to meet lawmakers on Aug.
23 at the latest to discuss the amnesty issue.

Article 14 (2) of the amended 1945 Constitution states the
President shall grant amnesty by taking into account the opinion
of the House.

Usually, the process takes a long time.

However, based on the peace accord signed on Aug. 15 by the
government and Aceh rebel leaders in the Finnish capital
Helsinki, all GAM prisoners shall be released within two weeks
after the signing.

"We need to have a presidential decree for the amnesty after
a meeting with the House. We want the prisoners to arrive back in
Aceh by Aug. 31," Hamid told the press during his visit to the
Sukamiskin prison in Bandung, West Java, aimed partially at
disseminating information on the peace pact.

House Speaker Agung Laksono separately said the House's
consultative body would be responsible for organizing discussions
for the House to make a decision on amnesty for the GAM
prisoners.

The body holds a weekly session on Thursdays. However, it did
not have a meeting on Thursday.

Member Jacobus Karlo Mayongpadang from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the body was scheduled
to organize a meeting, to be attended by all House and faction
leaders, on Friday to discuss the amnesty issue.

But he said his faction would not give its approval until the
government held a meeting with the House to explain the details
of the peace accord to end nearly three decades of separatist
fighting in Aceh.

"This is a consequence of what the government has done by
keeping the negotiations (with GAM) secret without proper
consultation with the House. They seem to consider the House
their subordinate," he said.

Jacobus said the government should not have provided such a
short period to determine such a vital issue affecting the nation
as a whole.

"The government had said the talks were informal, but now the
results seem to be legally binding, thus forcing the House to
approve them," he added.

Hamid further said the justice ministry would send all the GAM
prisoners, serving prison terms across Java, to Jakarta by land
transportation after their release. They would later be flown to
Aceh.

There are currently a total of 1,428 GAM members imprisoned
across the country, with as many as 487 of them serving time in
penitentiaries around Java, where they were sent in a bid to
"boost their nationalist spirit".

Sukamiskin Penitentiary alone is home to 18 GAM prisoners,
including T. Kamaruzzaman, M. Usman Lampo Awe and Amni bin Ahmad
Marzuki -- all rebel negotiators for peace talks in Tokyo that
produced the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in 2002.

The three were arrested after the breakdown of the agreement
in 2003.

Kamaruzzaman and Usman said that they still did not know what
they would do after their release. "We need to see the conditions
later," said Usman, adding that they would contact the GAM
leaders in Sweden for assistance.

Amni, however, said he would return to his hometown of
Lhokseumawe to restart his business.

Hamid said the government would allow the GAM inmates to
decide whether to stay in Java or return to their hometowns in
Aceh.

A number of GAM prisoners had raised concern over their safety
after being granted amnesty.

Among the inmates who were concerned was Ahmad, who was
convicted of involvement with the GAM. "I'm worried about my
safety when I return home."

In response, Hamid said GAM prisoners deserved protection
after their release.