More evidence on GAM sent to Sweden

More evidence on GAM sent to Sweden

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia has sent additional legal evidence to the Swedish
government in a bid to complete the legal process against the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders currently residing in Stockholm.

Presidential special envoy Ali Alatas said on Tuesday the
evidence, sent to Stockholm on Monday, consisted of a court order
and a transcript of the confession of several persons allegedly
related to GAM who perpetrated terror attacks.

"The proof that they (the Swedish government) have asked for
provide the link between the (GAM) people in Stockholm and the
ongoing rebellion in the war-torn province of Aceh," said Alatas,
former foreign minister.

He said the additional evidence was the final documents
required by the Swedish authority to move ahead with legal
recourse against GAM leaders in exile.

In conjunction with the imposition of martial law on May 19,
the government decided to push Swedish authorities to limit the
activities of GAM leaders living and working in that country.

GAM leaders Hasan Tiro, Abdullah Zaini and Malik Mahmood have
been living in Stockholm since the late 1980s to evade arrest.

Jakarta has repeatedly said Sweden should comply with the
international convention to maintain good bilateral relations by
not "supporting" the separatist movements of a friendly country.

Sweden has twice asked for more evidence to enable it to take
action against GAM.

Alatas suggested that the government maintain the option to
submit GAM to the UN consolidated terrorist list under Resolution
No. 60/1994, which categorizes terror as activities that threaten
the territorial integrity of member states.

"The option should remain on the table, as putting GAM on the
list would force other member countries to take action against
the separatist movement," Alatas said.

He said he had invited Swedish police and prosecutors to come
to Indonesia and interrogate GAM members to establish their link
with their leaders in Stockholm.

In Aceh, four separatist rebels had been killed in separate
incidents over the past two days, the local military spokesman
said on Wednesday, as reported by Antara.

Military operation spokesman Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki said
in Lhokseumawe that government troops, after clashes on Sunday
and Monday in six districts, seized ten rounds of ammunition.

Basuki said Indonesian Military (TNI) troops also captured a
woman rebel figure, Supriyani, in Kampung Jawa, East Aceh.

He said gunfights between the TNI and armed GAM rebels
occurred on Monday in Bireuen, North Aceh, East Aceh, Gayo Lues
and Pidie regencies.

In Peusangan, Bireuen, the TNI confiscated 50 rounds of AK-47
ammunition and a magazine.

In Bhaktia, North Aceh, the TNI killed a GAM rebel and
confiscated 20 rounds of AK-47 bullets and two magazines.

Troops also shot dead rebel Ahmad Taufik, 44, during a
skirmish in Kampung Kulam, East Aceh.

In Pinding on Sunday, a separatist was also shot dead.

In Padang Tiji, the TNI confiscated a mere 23 rounds of SS-1
ammunition and a magazine.

Another rebel, from whom the TNI seized a walkie-talkie, was
killed in a fight in Paloh Tinggi, Pidie.

During the first six months of martial law in Aceh, which ended
on Wednesday, the military captured 37 of about 140 top GAM
figures.

Also during that period, 1,106 suspected GAM members were
killed and 488 weapons seized. Another 1,544 suspected rebels
were captured while 504 separatists surrendered.