http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/7/12/gam-party-to-be-rejected-minister-says/
07/12/07 00:24 GAM Party to be rejected, minister says Jakarta (ANTARA News) - State Secretary/Minister Hatta Radjasa said that under the Law on Aceh Government and a Government Regulation, the GAM party will be rejected as it is against the spirit of unitary state of Indonesia. "It is obvious that in the spirit of the Helsinki peace accord on the maintenance of peace, the symbols and signs of GAM (Free Aceh Movement) should be rejected," Hatta said after attending a working meeting with a special committee on the draft law on political parties and their status, at the parliamentary building here on Wednesday. Hatta reiterated that local political parties using the name and symbol of GAM will not be accepted, as the party`s establishment is against the spirit of integration of the unitary state of Indonesia. "Don`t look at it just because it is not arranged in words," he said. Hatta stressed that under Law No 11/2006 on Aceh Government and Government Regulation No 20/2007 on the establishment of a political party in Aceh, there were three kinds of supervision, namely that of legal materials and human rights through the Justice and Human Rights Representative Office which will conduct the legal supervision. "Symbols and signs will be diversified. While during the general election, there is a supervision to be conducted by the independent general election commission (KIP) and another supervision by the governor representing the government," he said. To establish a new political party, some conditions should be met. Among other things, the party is not allowed to revive the past tragedy. Touching on whether the GAM party was arranged in a draft bill on political parties being discussed in the House of Representatives, Hatta said the law on political parties is national in nature. In the meantime, a local party was arranged in a draft bill on the Aceh government and government regulation No 20, he noted. Last week, a GAM party was officially inaugurated with its head office in Leung Bata, Banda Aceh. At that time, the police of Banda Aceh insisted the GAM party to remove its symbol as it may revive the spirit of rebellion. The police has rejected the GAM Party symbol because implicitly associated with GAM`s struggle for independence.(*)
