Jakarta – The Aceh Transition Committee (KPA) raised the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) flag during a ceremony that drew hundreds of attendees to commemorate GAM's 48th anniversary in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, on Wednesday.
A video of the ceremony, which went viral on social media, showed participants neatly lined up on a volleyball court as three men raised the flag, accompanied by the adzan (call to prayer).
Following the flag-raising, a joint prayer was held for fallen comrades, and aid was distributed to orphans in the Lhokseumawe area. The event ended with the flag being lowered after several messages and other proceedings.
In an emotional speech, former GAM combatant Saifuddin Yunus expressed his hopes for the future of Aceh's struggle.
"When we raised this flag, we cried, tears fell. When will the flag be raised in Aceh, in all corners, in all government agencies?" Saifuddin asked, as quoted by detik.com.
"We hope there is a directive for all government agencies down to keuchik [village] office, there must be two flag poles to raise our flag."
Meanwhile, KPA spokesman for Kuta Pasee region, Halim Abee, said the event was part of the annual GAM anniversary tradition.
Halim hoped that President Prabowo Subianto and newly elected Aceh governor Muzakkir Manaf would fulfill all agreements between Indonesia and GAM.
"Of course, everything we do is part of maintaining diversity within the framework of the Republic of Indonesia," Halim said, as quoted by kompas.com.
The KPA is an organization for former Aceh rebels, of which Muzakir is the chairman. Muzakir had previously prohibited raising the GAM flag during the group's anniversary celebrations.
Lhokseumawe Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Henki Ismanto confirmed that the flag-raising took place only at this one location, as reported by detik.com.
GAM was established on Dec. 4, 1976 by Hasan di Tiro, and fought for Acehnese independence from Indonesia until a peace accord was struck in 2005 in Helsinki. Hasan then fled to Sweden in 1979 and took Swedish citizenship to lead GAM from abroad. He returned to Indonesia in 2010 and regained Indonesian citizenship just before his death.