Sweden arrests three exiled GAM leaders

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta

The Indonesian government hailed on Tuesday the arrest in Sweden of three top exiled leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) for allegedly violating international law.

The three suspects were GAM chief Hasan di Tiro, the self- styled Aceh foreign minister Zaini Abdullah and the self-styled prime minister Malik Mahmud.

Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa said the arrest showed the steadfast commitment of the Swedish government to fully support Indonesia in combating separatism in Aceh.

"It is the hope of the government and the people of Indonesia that the continuing legal process against GAM leadership in Sweden can be concluded in a just and speedy manner, so that it would contribute to ending armed rebellion and acts of violence and terrorism in Aceh and other regions," he said in a press statement.

The arrests come several weeks after Swedish prosecutors visited Indonesia to investigate suspected links between exiled GAM leaders in Sweden and the violence in Aceh.

In Aceh, GAM spokesman Sofyan Dawood also welcomed the action taken by the Swedish authorities, but said he hoped there was no interference by the Indonesian government.

In the Swedish capital of Stockholm, state prosecutor Tomas Lindstrand was quoted by AFP as saying the three were suspected "of grave breaches of international law".

"Action has been taken against three persons suspected of grave breaches of international law. The suspects are considered to be leaders of the GAM movement," he said.

He said police carried out raids and two of the three were being held in custody, but did not name them.

GAM has been fighting since 1976 for the independence of Aceh. There has been continued violence in the disputed region despite the lifting of martial law on May 19 and the imposition of a state of civil emergency.