Nasi island to become TNI's Guantanamo

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Aceh martial law administration has chosen Nasi island, just north of the provincial capital Banda Aceh, as the center for processing detainees from the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) before they face trial.

Indonesian Military's (TNI) chief of general affairs Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago told journalists in Banda Aceh that the center on the island, covering an area of 22 hectares, would be able to handle 1,000 detainees.

"It is to anticipate the increasing number of detainees in the future," he said, adding that he expected the center to be operational within two months.

Thus far, a total of 183 GAM members had been arrested or surrendered to the military.

"So, we need a special place that can accommodate around 1,000 people," he said.

Nasi island used to be a GAM stronghold and was the target of a massive combined attack by the Navy, Army and Air Force last month.

The island, measuring about 100 square kilometers, has around 6,500 residents. Most of the residents are farmers or fishermen.

The detention center on Nasi island would be the first of its kind in the country, likely resembling Guantanamo Bay in Cuba which the United States has been using to process mostly al-Qaeda-linked suspects. -- JP