Up to 90% of GAM prisoners to be eligible for amnesty

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin announced on Monday that more than 90 percent of the nearly 1,500 Free Aceh Movement (GAM) prisoners and detainees would be eligible for an amnesty to be announced later this month.

Another 500 GAM prisoners, who were released after receiving remission last week, will also be entitled to benefit from the amnesty.

"Those (prisoners) to be given amnesty are political prisoners or detainees who have been convicted of subversion or face subversion charges," Hamid told the press after attending a ceremony at the State Palace.

The minister stressed, however, that convicted criminals would not eligible for amnesty.

"More than 90 percent are political prisoners (and detainees)," said the minister, who signed the recent peace accord with GAM.

According to the peace deal signed on Aug. 15 in Helsinki, which is aimed to ending the decades-long conflict in the province, the government is required to grant amnesty to "all persons who have participated in GAM activities" no later than 15 days after the signing of the pact.

Some 1,500 GAM prisoners and detainees are currently in jail. As many as 487 among them are imprisoned in a number of penitentiaries in Java.

About 500 GAM prisoners were freed last week after receiving remissions, traditionally given to prisoners for good behavior to mark Independence Day.

Hamid said that he and State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra are scheduled to meet with the House of Representatives' Commission III on legal and home affairs on Wednesday to discuss the amnesty policy.

Commission III would then bring the issue to a House plenary meeting based on normal procedures, he added.

It is not clear whether the views of lawmakers will affect the government's amnesty program for GAM members as the Constitution does not require the government to obtain the approval of the House before granting amnesties. Some lawmakers have been vocal in their criticism of some aspects of the peace accord).

Hamid only said: "The President will announce the amnesty after the consultative meeting. After this, we will follow up with the concrete step of releasing them."

The ministry's director general for human rights protection, Hafid Abbas, earlier said that the government planned to start releasing GAM prisoners and detainees on Aug. 28.

The prisoners and detainees will have to undergo a series of screenings, including medical checkups, prior to their release. They will be provided with clothing, transportation and a small amount of money.

Amnestied GAM members will be entitled to full rehabilitation and the full restoration of their citizenship rights, including the right to stand in elections.