Norway vows to look into influx of GAM members

Norway vows to look into influx of GAM members

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterson has promised to look into
a media report that hundreds of political refugees from the
troubled Aceh province had fled to Norway from Sweden, Indonesian
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Tuesday.

"He himself (Peterson) still has questions on the accuracy of
the report but promises to look into it when he returns to
Norway," Hassan said on the sidelines of the 4th UN-ASEAN
Conference on Friday.

Peterson spoke to Hassan on Sunday during bilateral talks in
Jakarta.

Petersen also said that any activities that were not in
accordance with both Norwegian and international laws would not
be tolerated.

Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members cannot flee criminal
investigation in Sweden and move to Norway, Petersen said.

In its latest edition, the Hong Kong-based Far Eastern
Economic Review, quoting officials of the GAM, said that within
the last three years some 200 political refugees from Aceh had
gone to Norway and opted to settle there. GAM began relocating
some of its activities from Sweden to Norway, a non-European
Union country which has a more liberal refugee policy than
Sweden.

But Norway's Ambassador to Indonesia Bjorn Blokhus told The
Jakarta Post that the refugee policy in Norway is no different
from Sweden. Therefore, persons with refugee status in Sweden,
cannot obtain refugee status in Norway.