---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Dengan mengClick banner sponsor anda menyumbang Rp. 1000,- untuk HomePage IndoNews. ---------------------------------------------------------- South China Morning Post Wednesday March 24 1999 40 Aceh political prisoners released ASSOCIATED PRESS in Jakarta The Indonesian Government yesterday announced the release of 42 political prisoners, 40 of them accused of belonging to the separatist movement in Aceh province. Justice Minister Muladi, who made the announcement after meeting President Bacharuddin Habibie, said the move was unrelated to the President's plan to visit Aceh on Friday in a gesture of reconciliation. Mr Muladi said the prisoners were only freed after they had promised to obey the law. The prisoners were serving sentences of up to 20 years, and one had been in custody since 1991. Aceh - 1,760km northwest of Jakarta in Sumatra - is one of three Indonesian provinces where small groups of guerillas are fighting for independence from Jakarta. The other two are Irian Jaya and East Timor, a territory that could soon have the chance to vote in a United Nations-sponsored referendum asking if it wants wide-ranging autonomy within Indonesia or independence. In August last year, the military withdrew special units of soldiers it had sent to the Aceh region to fight rebels. But activists there claim at least 63 people have been killed since November, when the military launched a new operation. ************************************************** ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 27 Mar 1999 jam 03:44:25 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
