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

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.