NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Free Aceh Movement

The Free Aceh Movement (Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or simply GAM), also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), is an armed separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region on Sumatra from Indonesia. The Indonesian government calls the group the Aceh Security Disturbance Movement. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Aceh (pronounced Ah-chay) is a special territory (daerah istimewa, or special area) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatara and Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 kmÂ²) and is the largest part of Indonesia. ...

Background

While Aceh has a higher proportion of Muslims than the rest of Indonesia, the roots of the separatist movement are historical rather than religious. Aceh was never under the formal control of the colonial Netherlands and Indonesian independence in 1949 had been from the Dutch. Therefore, the Acehnese separatists state that the region should have been consulted as to if it wanted to join the Indonesian republic. Aceh had been granted special status by the government in 1959, allowing Islamic traditions and laws greater prominence. Centralizing tendencies of the government of Suharto led Hasan di Tiro, a descendant of the last sultan of Aceh, to form GAM on 24 December 1976 and declare Acehnese independence. The main perceived threats were to Acehnese religion and culture from the "neo-colonial" government and the rising numbers of Javanese migrants. The uneven distribution of income from Aceh's substantial natural resources was another point of contention. Despite these problems GAM is believed to have widespread support among the Acehnese people, although government-controlled election results indicate otherwise. A Muslim (Arabic: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…) is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... General Soeharto (commonly known as Suharto in the English-speaking world) (born June 8, 1921) was an Indonesian leader and military strongman. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings muslim monarch ruling under the terms of shariah The title carries moral weight and religious authority, as the rulers role was defined in the Quran. ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Map of Java Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ...

Guerrilla war

At first the guerilla war of GAM was almost entirely unsuccessful, and the government appeared to have entirely neutralised the group by 1977. The group renewed its activities in the 1980s, apparently with financial support from Libya and Iran, fielding around 3,500 soldiers. Although it failed to gain widespread support, the group's actions led the government to institute repressive measures, which aided GAM by alienating the civilian population. The area was given "Operational Military" status from 1991 to 1995. Negotiations between the two sides, although improved by the toppling of Suharto, were endlessly broken off, and both the military and GAM were often accused of human rights abuses. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

In 1996 the Indonesian government announced the end of GAM. The TNI (Tentara Nasional Indonesia) presence in the region was not greatly reduced and reports of arrests, torture, and extra-judicial killings continued. In 1999 a troop withdrawal was announced, but the military presence remains high and troop numbers are believed to have risen during the rule of Megawati Sukarnoputri to around 35,000 by mid-2002. Security crackdowns in 2001 and 2002 resulted in several thousand civilian deaths. Indonesias armed forces (Indonesian: Tentara Nasional Indonesia, or TNI, formerly ABRI) total about 250,000 members, including the army, navy, marines, and air force. ... The Iron Maiden of Nuremberg was a famous, but probably mythical, torture device Torture is the infliction of severe physical or psychological pain as an expression of cruelty, a means of intimidation, deterrent or punishment, or as a tool for the extraction of information or confessions. ... Megawati Sukarnoputri Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri (born 23 January 1947), was President of Indonesia from July 2001 to 20 October 2004. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Peace negotiations

The leaders of GAM, Hasan di Tiro, and his chief deputy, Zaini Abdullah, and Malik Mahmud have lived in exile in Sweden. The group's main Indonesian spokesman is Abdullah Syafei'i Dimatang. In the late 1990s GAM began peace talks with Jakarta, brokered by the Swedish government. // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. ...

In 1999 it was reported that the group had split into two factions, ASNLF (representing the original group) and the Free Aceh Movement Government Council (MP-GAM). This has been denied by GAM spokespersons but widely reported by the Indonesian media.

On Tuesday, 28 December 2004, in the aftermath of the devastation caused by a massive tsunami, GAM declared a ceasefire of hostilities to allow for aid to reach within the disputed area. In turn, the Indonesian government removed restrictions on the flow of aid and foreign journalists to the area of northern Sumatra to allow for rescue efforts in that area. December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hits Thailand The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. ...

Other Aceh separatist groups exist, and there is some tension between them and GAM over tactics and GAM's monopoly of negotiations with the government. Separatism involves setting oneself or others apart. ...

On 27 December 2004, the Free Aceh Movement and the delegation of the Indonesian government started another round of peace talks in Vantaa, Finland moderated by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. On 16 July 2005, the Indonesian Minister of Communication and GAM announced a peace deal to end the thirty-year insurgency, to be signed on 15 August. There were conflicting messages from the Indonesian government in Jakarta as to whether the rebels would be allowed to create political parties, a key sticking point of previous negotiations. December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location within Finland Vantaa (Vanda in Swedish) is a municipality in Finland. ... The President of Finland (Suomen Tasavallan Presidentti; Republiken Finlands President) is the Head of State of Finland. ... Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari (born June 23, 1937) is a former President of Finland (1994 - 2000). ... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... â€¹The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by...

Peace agreement and cease-fire

The peace agreement was signed, as planned, on 15 August 2005. Both sides agreed to cease all hostilities with immediate effect. GAM also agreed to disarm, while the Indonesian Government pledged to withdraw all non-local military and police by the end of 2005. The Government also agreed to facilitate the establishment of Aceh-based political parties. In addition, an Aceh Monitoring Mission will be set up by the EU and ASEAN to oversee the process of disarmament and the reintegration into society of GAM members. Former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari called the agreement "the beginning of a new era for Aceh". Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Ongoing events â€¢ Abramoff-Reed gambling scandal â€¢ Angola Marburg virus outbreak â€¢ Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes of 2005 â€¢ Bagram torture and prisoner abuse â€¢ Cindy Sheehan Crawford Protest â€¢ Downing Street memo â€¢ Edinburgh Festival â€¢ European Constitution ratification â€¢ Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan â€¢ Fuel prices â€¢ Gomery Comm. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Main languages See Languages of ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong of Singapore Area - Total 4,480,000 km2 Population - Total (2004) - Density 550,000,000 122. ... The President of Finland (Suomen Tasavallan Presidentti; Republiken Finlands President) is the Head of State of Finland. ... Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari (born June 23, 1937) is a former President of Finland (1994 - 2000). ...

Contents

Background

Guerrilla war

Peace negotiations

Peace agreement and cease-fire

See also

External links

Contents

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Guerrilla war

Peace negotiations

Peace agreement and cease-fire

See also

External links

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