Indonesia confirms amnesty for GAM members News
Indonesia confirms amnesty for GAM members

[JURIST] Indonesian Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin has confirmed that the Indonesian government will grant general amnesties to all members of the Free Aceh Movement [Wikipedia profile] (GAM) currently incarcerated by the government. The amnesty is part of the Helsinki peace agreement [PDF text] between the GAM, the largest independence group in the Aceh province, and the central Indonesian government [official website in Bahasa Indonesian], which was formally signed [JURIST report] earlier this week. Awaluddin told reporters at the Sukamiskin penitentiary, where he was overseeing the planning of the GAM members' release, that the amnesties should be ready by the end of August, but that they must first be approved by Indonesia's House of Representatives [government website in Bahasa Indonesian]. Awaluddin was at Sukamiskin penitentiary to determine how the Aceh rebels would be transported back to their homes after their amnesty. JURIST's Paper Chase has continuing coverage of Indonesia [JURIST news archive]. The Jakarta Post has local coverage.