National

Foreign GAM Members Do Not Need Amnesty
Friday, 02 September, 2005 | 20:37 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:According to Indonesian Legal Aid Institute foundation (YLBHI) civil rights director Donny Ardyanto, the government does not need to grant public amnesty and abolition to members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) who are foreign citizens.

This is because the judicial system of Indonesia has never passed any criminal sentences on these GAM members.

“I think it is rather awkward to grant amnesty if they have not been sentenced. They have never been arrested nor punished. Therefore, they don’t need amnesty,” said Ardyanto.

According to him, a person can be granted amnesty if they have entered the judicial system of Indonesia and there is supporting evidences.

Ardyanto also said that it was unnecessary to force GAM members who are foreign citizens to become Indonesian citizens because becoming a citizen of a particular countries is a basic human right.

However, if they wished to be Indonesian citizens, then they would have to must follow the prevailing procedures, the same procedures that must be followed by foreign citizens who wish to be Indonesian citizens.

“The mechanism must be the same as other mechanism used by all foreigners who wish to become Indonesian citizens,” said Ardyanto.

The official granting of the amnesty was issued by the government on August 30, through Presidential Decision No.22/2005 regarding the granting of general amnesty and abolition to all persons involved in the GAM.

This Decision was signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. (Sunariah-Tempo News Room)