Police request Interpol to help arrest Tiro

Police request Interpol to help arrest Tiro

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

National Police have sent a request to Interpol headquarters as well as 181 member countries for assistance to arrest Hassan Tiro, a top leader of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), for crimes in Indonesia.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Friday it was difficult to arrest Hassan Tiro who currently lives in Stockholm, Sweden, because of differences in regulations in each Interpol country.

"It isn't easy to arrest the GAM leader. That is why we have asked Interpol to assist," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

GAM has been fighting for an independent state in Aceh since 1976. Hassan Tiro, now a Swedish citizen, has been leading the separatist rebel movement from overseas.

The Indonesian government has requested Sweden to take legal action against Tiro and another GAM leader, Zaini Abdullah, who led rebellion in Aceh against Indonesia.

Foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said on Friday that Indonesia hoped that Sweden would respond to Indonesia's request soon.

"We hope that legal action would paralyze GAM's organizational structure," Hassan said at the State Palace after joining Thai foreign minister Suragiart Sathirathai in a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The Swedish government has said they cannot take legal action against Hassan Tiro and Zaini as the country guarantees freedom of expression.

Sweden has the right to protect its citizens "while big countries such as the United States has prohibited its people from launching separatist movements in other countries," Hassan said.

The Indonesian government launched a military operation on Monday to crush the rebellion in Aceh.

GAM leaders in Sweden have asked the United Nations and the international community to intervene and stop the war in Aceh.

But Hassan rejected the call and said there was no reason for the United Nations to meddle in the Aceh conflict.

"No way. The conflict is an internal problem. No one can intervene in our affairs," he said.