No reason for GAM to exist: VP

No reason for GAM to exist: VP

JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz said there was no reason
for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to exist now as the government
had paid special heed to the Nangroe Aceh Darussalam province.

GAM was instead expected to develop Indonesia along with other
Indonesian people, the vice president said at a function
commemorating the 29th anniversary of the United Development
Party (PPP) in Cirebon, West Java, on Sunday.

Hamzah, who is also PPP's general chair, said the central
government had paid special attention to Aceh among others on the
implementation of the traditional law and the Islamic law as well
as natural resources specially earmarked for the province.

According to Hamzah, the New Order government (during former
president Soeharto) had paid less attention to development in the
Indonesian westernmost province making the local people oppose
the former government.

In Cirebon, the vice president had also the occasion to meet
local ulemas and students of an Islamic boarding school, Pondok
Pesantren Buntet. -- Antara