Naming GAM rebels 'won't endanger them'

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government insisted on Thursday that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) should submit the names of its 3,000 former fighters as part of their integration process into society after a peace deal to end 29 years of separatist fighting.

It assured the rebels that the submission of their names would not harm them in the future, while promising to protect their security after the reintegration process, as it had for the people that received amnesty.

"So far none of the amnestied GAM members has faced security threats even after they were released from jail," said Minister of Information and Communications Sofyan Djalil, who was one of government negotiators with the GAM in Helsinki, Finland.

"We have to ensure that GAM submits the list of its former fighters' names and it will not cause negative impacts on them," he told the press after a meeting on political, legal and security affairs.

Similar assurances were voiced by the Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who attended the same meeting.

"I ask the GAM leadership to learn to trust us. We are not going to discriminate against former GAM members after being reintegrated into society. We need the list of their names to speed up the reintegration process. I promise them security protection," he said.

Sofyan warned that GAM's failure to name its members would stall their integration arrangement into society as required by the peace accord signed on Aug. 15, 2005 in Helsinki.

"As of today, we haven't received the list of some 3,000 GAM combatants who will undergo the reintegration process. I know there are some problems with what we call the confidence-building measures between us and GAM," he added.

The peace pact did not explicitly require GAM to disclose its members' names, but the government has argued that the move was important for it to provide them with economic assistance as part of reintegration package to help them settle back into society during the post-conflict period.

GAM representative Mohammed Nur Djuli has earlier said his side had decided not to submit the list of the names to the government, without giving any specific reason.

However, human rights watchdog Imparsial has said the disclosure of GAM rebels' names could bear risks of possible violence against them.

It accused security forces of continuing violence against former guerrillas and Acehnese civilians despite the Helsinki truce.

Imparsial also reported that at least 12 civilians were beaten by soldiers at Mesjid Bandar Baru village in Pidie regency in August because the victims refused to show respect to them.

Similar cases also took place last month at Lancok and Mayang villages, also in Pidie, when dozens of local residents were beaten by soldiers, according to Imparsial.

Security threats were also imminent against former GAM fighters by alleged militia groups, or unidentified armed groups.

Imparsial said that an amnestied GAM member, Arifin, was shot dead by an unidentified person in Manggeng village, West Aceh, on Aug. 21. Local police confirmed that bullets that killed Arifin were fired from an SS-1 rifle.

The NGO also reported that armed clashes between soldiers and GAM guerrillas continued despite the demilitarization process in Aceh.

These cases included a crossfire at Ara Lipeh-Tanjong Mulia village in Bireuen on Aug. 25, and other armed clashes at Meureu village in Aceh Besar on Aug. 28 and in Ceupeudak village in North Aceh on Sept. 10.

The military has repeatedly denied the existence of any militia groups in Aceh.