Swedish prosecutors to probe Aceh rebels

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A team of Swedish prosecutors arrived here today to visit the war-torn province of Aceh to begin their preliminary investigation of Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders charged with crimes committed in Aceh and other parts of Indonesia.

Lt. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, secretary to the coordinating minister for political and security affairs, said on Tuesday the team would question dozens of witnesses, mostly prisoners of GAM rebels who are currently serving prison terms in the province. They would also visit the sites of hundreds of destroyed schools and buildings in Aceh, which the military blamed on the rebels.

The team will be assisted by officials from three related institutions: the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the Attorney General's Office and the National Police in their four- day investigation, Sudi added.

"The team also plans to study documents provided by us (the government) and we hope that they will come to the conclusion that they need to support us in enforcing the law against the rebels," Sudi said.

The team, led by Sweden's Chief District Prosecutor Tomas Lindstrand, had initially planned to visit Medan. Sudi did not explain why the North Sumatra capital was scrapped from their agenda.

Since President Megawati Soekarnoputri imposed martial law on Aceh on May 19, 2003, efforts to file cases against GAM leaders began. The leaders, most of whom live in Sweden, are charged with ordering their fighters to carry out terrorist acts across the country.

According to the Indonesian Military, since 1976, when GAM began its struggle for an independent state, more than 1,300 guerrillas have been killed, while 2,000 others surrendered or were arrested.