Jakarta – The Aceh provincial administration's plan to screen 67,000 civil servants and "severely punish" those found to support the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has sparked criticism.

Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) head Hendardi said the screening was absolutely unnecessary as it would disrupt government attempts to win the hearts and minds of the Acehnese. "The government will emulate the New Order regime, which was trying to weed out people allegedly linked to the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) from the bureaucracy," Hendardi said on Tuesday.

The government should instead allow the Acehnese to seek justice for human rights violations perpetrated by the military in the past, Hendardi said. "Ensuring that justice is upheld is the main requirement to win the hearts and minds of Acehnese after the government allowed them to implement Islamic syariah law and granted special autonomy status. "Without justice the government will never win Acehnese hearts." He said the process would only divide the Acehnese and intensify suspicion between them.

After the abortive coup blamed on the PKI in 1965, the New Order government adopted a screening process, which was mandatory for those applying for positions in the bureaucracy, the military, the police and other state institutions. Those seeking promotion were also subjected to the examination, which aimed to trace links, directly or indirectly, to the now defunct party.

The central government on Tuesday expressed support for the process, which aimed to rid the bureaucracy of GAM sympathizers or supporters.

State Minister of Administrative Reform Feisal Tamin said the screening process would be based on fact instead of prejudice in order to avoid repeating past human rights violations. "It means that if certain civil servants are linked to GAM, the allegations must be supported by solid evidence, not presumptions." Feisal said witnesses would be needed to bring charges against alleged GAM supporters.

Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh said Monday that he had ordered that 67,000 civil servants in the province be screened due to suspicion that many supported or aided GAM. Puteh said the screening was necessary to find out whether the civil servants were loyal to the unitary state of Indonesia. "Those who have an unclear stance or support GAM will be given severe punishment," he said.

Feisal said the screening would be conducted carefully as civil servants were sometimes forced by GAM to support the separatist movement. "In a conflict situation, some people are frightened by physical threats so they may have no choice but to support GAM. But of course there are people that intentionally support GAM." He claimed that those forced to support GAM would escape punishment.

The central government has sent two senior officials to Aceh in connection with the implementation of the screening.