LAKSAMANA.Net, June 23, 2004 01:54 AM
Police, TNI Offer to Help Sweden in GAM Case
(Police, TNI offer to help in engineering the GAM case)
Laksamana.Net - The National Police and Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) have
offered to provide assistance to help Sweden prosecute three exiled members of the
separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Commissioner General Suyitno Landung, chief of the police’s criminal investigation
department, said Tuesday (22/6/04) his office was ready to help Swedish prosecutors
with their investigation into the allegedly illegal activities of the trio.
GAM founder Hasan di Tiro, deputy leader Zaini Abdullah and ‘prime minister’ Malik
Mahmud were arrested in Stockholm on June 15 on suspicion of "grave breaches of
international law".
Abdullah and Mahmud were detained for three days and then released by a
Stockholm court due to a lack of evidence, while the 80-year-old di Tiro was not taken
into custody due to his advanced age and poor health.
The three are still classified as suspects while Sweden investigates Indonesia’s
accusation they have been directing the separatist rebellion in Aceh province from
Stockholm.
Indonesia also suspects the trio of ordering bombings, kidnappings and arson attacks
in Aceh and elsewhere.
Landung said police are ready to provide the Swedish prosecutor's office with
materials to help complete their investigation. "If needed, we are also ready to send
witnesses who were once questioned here [in Indonesia]," he was quoted as saying
by state news agency Antara.
The police are also prepared to send staff to translate documents from Acehnese into
English, he added. "We are ready to take such measures as we have an interest in
thoroughly solving the problems in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh."
Meanwhile, TNI spokesman Colonel Ahmad Yani said the military was willing to
provide the Foreign Affairs Ministry with evidence to assist Swedish authorities in
prosecuting the GAM leaders.
"TNI has prepared evidence it has found in the field to assist the Foreign Affairs
Ministry," he said, adding the military was monitoring developments in the case.
More than 13,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Aceh since GAM
commenced its battle for independence in 1976.
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