----- Original Message ----- From: "SIRA Presidium" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 6:56 PM Subject: [ppiindia] Sweden drops criminal charges against Aceh rebels
> > Sweden drops criminal charges against Aceh rebels > 22 Apr 2005 13:05:23 GMT > > Source: Reuters > > By Stephen Brown > > STOCKHOLM, April 22 (Reuters) - Sweden on Friday dropped criminal charges > against Aceh rebel > leaders who have led their independence struggle from exile in Stockholm > for nearly 30 years but > are now holding peace talks with Indonesia. > > Two top political leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were detained > last June on charges of > breaking international law by directing the armed struggle from afar. They > were freed after a few > days pending a criminal investigation. > > But Sweden's chief international prosecutor, Tomas Lindstrand, found there > was insufficient > evidence that the men GAM considers its prime minister and foreign > minister, Malik Mahmud and > Zaini Abdullah, were directly responsible for crimes in Aceh. > > "The Indonesians have used all means to defame GAM including trying to get > its leaders arrested > and cut off from the people, but it has backfired because the Swedes value > human rights and > justice," GAM spokesman Bakhtiar Abdullah told Reuters. > > The prosecutor's findings, quoted by Swedish news agency TT, said the > evidence including testimony > from Indonesia "did not give a clear and unambiguous picture of the > leadership in Sweden's > eventual role in the crimes committed in Indonesia". > > The GAM leadership fled to asylum in Sweden after declaring independence > from Indonesia in 1976. > But jungle fighters stayed on in the devoutly Muslim province to combat > Indonesian troops and some > 12,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed. > > Next month GAM and senior Indonesian negotiators will meet in Helsinki for > the fourth time this > year to seek peace in the gas-rich province on the northern tip of Sumatra > island. > > Both sides were ready to talk peace after the province took the brunt of > the Dec. 26 tsunami, in > which nearly 130,000 people in Aceh lost their lives and more than 500,000 > became homeless. > > GAM says Indonesian troops continue to commit atrocities in Aceh despite > the talks, while > Indonesian military commanders say they will continue to fight the rebels > until a ceasefire or > peace deal is struck. But they deny a military build-up. > > Both sides have been accused of human rights abuses and the government in > Jakarta had long lobbied > Sweden to take action against GAM for ordering attacks on Indonesian > soldiers. > > Indonesia also pointed the finger at the frail, 80-year-old prince whom > GAM considers Aceh's head > of state, Hasan di Tiro, who lives in a modest flat in a Stockholm suburb. > But Swedish authorities > considered him too old and frail to be prosecuted. > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > *************************************************************************** > Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia > yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.org > *************************************************************************** > __________________________________________________________________________ > Mohon Perhatian: > > 1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik) > 2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari. > 3. Lihat arsip sebelumnya, www.ppi-india.da.ru; > 4. Satu email perhari: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 5. No-email/web only: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 6. kembali menerima email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Help save the life of a child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.' http://us.click.yahoo.com/mGEjbB/5WnJAA/E2hLAA/BRUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.org *************************************************************************** __________________________________________________________________________ Mohon Perhatian: 1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik) 2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari. 3. Lihat arsip sebelumnya, www.ppi-india.da.ru; 4. Satu email perhari: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 5. No-email/web only: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 6. kembali menerima email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
