The Jakarta Post, July 11, 2007
Govt vows action against separatists
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Maintaining that the unitary state of Indonesia will not be compromised, the
government will not tolerate separatist movements aimed at creating instability, an
official said.
Presidential spokesman Andi Alfian Mallarangeng said Tuesday that the government
would take stern action against any efforts to promote separatism.
"We don't tolerate the presence of organizations established to create discontent
among the public," Andi was quoted by Antara as saying from Pontianak, West
Kalimantan.
Andi was responding to a claim made by a former member of the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) who said the government had given a new GAM-based political
party the go-ahead to use the flag of the former rebel group as its symbol.
A number of senior government officials have spoken out against the use of the GAM
flag by the new political party, while Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that neither he
nor President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono approved the use of the symbol during a
July 4 meeting with a former GAM official.
On Saturday, former GAM officials announced the formation of the local party based
on the now-disbanded rebel group.
The party, chaired by former GAM militia commander Muzakkir Manaf, is yet to
register with the Justice and Human Rights Ministry.
Also Tuesday, National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) governor Muladi warned the
government that a heavy-handed approach to dealing with a separatist movement
would not work.
Muladi said after a meeting with Kalla that the central government needed to take a
cultural approach in tackling separatist issues.
He suggested that the government could also resort to legal measures in dealing with
the GAM-based political party.
"The government must be resolute. If (the party) breaks the rule then the government
must use existing regulations. (The party) should be barred from contesting the local
elections," Muladi said.
The former GAM officials are in violation of the Helsinki Peace Accord, the Political
Party Law and the Aceh Governance Law by using the symbol of their former
organization, Muladi said.
The National Police added its weight to the debate surrounding the newly established
party, insisting it would closely monitor its development.
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Sisno Adiwinoto said the police would take
serious action against the group if it posed a threat to national security.
"Which ever movement aims at creating security problems and compromising the
country's territorial integrity, we will take actions against it," Sisno was quoted by
Antara as saying.
However, the police must wait for the government's verdict on whether the GAM party
is legitimate or to be outlawed.
"We are still waiting for the government's decision as to whether it will ban the symbol
or otherwise," he said.
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