National

President Orders TNI/National Police to Receive Former GAM Members
Wednesday, 23 November, 2005 | 01:47 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a Presidential Instruction on the Implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

The president ordered the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief to give an opportunity to every person involved in GAM to obtain a job as a military soldier in Aceh without discrimination and in accordance with the acceptance standard of the Indonesian Military (TNI).

President Yudhoyono also ordered the National Police chief to give opportunities to former GAM guerillas to join the police force in Aceh. The National Police chief was also asked to prepare the plan and policy in securing GAM members who have received amnesty and abolition.

In the instruction letter signed by President Yudhoyono on November 15 all Cabinet ministers, including the Attorney General, the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, the Chief of the National Police and the governor of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) also received details of their tasks in order to carry out the peace agreement with GAM.

The Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), for example, was given an additional assignment, to find out about the clandestine network that had tried to disturb the implementation of the MoU. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Minister of Home Affairs and the Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights have been ordered to establish all related regulations, including the Draft Law on Government Establishment in Aceh.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters (HQ) general information center head Maj. Gen. Kohirin Sugandasaputra said that the military soldiers were prepared to carry out any political decision made by the government. “No problem,” Sugandasaputra stated. (Wahyu Dhyatmika-Tempo News Room)