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.