Not all GAM members to receive amnesty: Official
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government said on Thursday that not all members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) would receive amnesty, with those being jailed for criminal offenses remaining in jail.
State Minister of Communications and Information Sofyan Djalil said that only political prisoners would be released.
"Only prisoners who were charged with treason will receive the amnesty, while others charged for crimes will not enjoy such pardons," Sofyan told reporters following a meeting with other government officials to discuss "technical matters" on how to implement the points agreed by the government and GAM leaders during last week's peace talks in Helsinki.
"Currently, all related ministries and institutions will conduct further arrangements in regard with the amnesty -- that includes the time-line, the recipients, the conditions and the legal opinions -- and all of the arrangements must be in line with our legal system," added Sofyan, who was among the government negotiators at the Helsinki talks.
Among of the agreed points during the talks was that the government would grant an amnesty to GAM members in return for their dropping demands for independence.
The amnesty, which is expected to be given two weeks after the government and GAM leaders officially sign the peace deal on Aug. 15, will restore the political, economic and social rights of GAM members, who for the past three decades have been fighting for the separation of Aceh from the unitary state of Indonesia.
The Minister, however, did not disclose the number of GAM prisoners who would enjoy the amnesty.
According to the Indonesian military there are currently around 1,300 active GAM members and another 1,300 being detained in various prisons in Indonesia including hundreds in the maximum security prison on the island of Nusakambangan in Central Java.
Most GAM prisoners have been jailed on criminal offenses including possession of illegal firearms and collection of illegal taxes (locally called Pajak Nanggroe) from Acehnese to raise funds for their struggle, human rights activists have said. This means that only a few GAM prisoners would walk free from jail once the peace deal has been formally signed.
Many of the prisoners jailed in Aceh died during the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster.
The tsunami also destroyed all documents about the prisoners.
Former secretary general of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Asmara Nababan has suggested both the government and GAM leadership change the terms of the amnesty to a "public pardon," meaning that all GAM members would receive amnesty including those being jailed for criminal offenses.
A member of GAM's negotiating team Mohammed Nur Djuli has also said that the amnesty should be granted to all Acehnese prisoners.
GAM launched its separatist struggle in 1976. The government and the rebels group agreed a truce in December 2002, but this quickly collapsed with both camps exchanging accusations of violations.
In mid-May 2003, the government declared martial law in Aceh and launched a major military offensive against the rebels. Renewed efforts to make peace were triggered by the tsunami disaster.