Swedish prosecutors to probe Aceh rebels

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.