Banda Aceh – Sympathizers of former rebels in Aceh commemorate the movement's anniversary across the tsunami-ravaged province in a modest way on Sunday, following the rebels' decision to abort the ceremony.
Leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) decided last week against celebrating the 29th anniversary of their movement on Sunday to show their commitment to promoting peace in the tsunami-ravaged province.
Witnesses said fewer of the former rebels' sympathizers marked the movement's anniversary in a modest way across the province, with the biggest number of attendants was in eastern Aceh district of Peureulak.
Most of the ceremonies were held ritual gathering at mosques. In some places, the participants were distributing foods to orphans.
"We only mark the anniversary with pray to express our grateful to God. We hope that peace will be forever in this province," Kafrawi, former deputy chief of GAM in Peureulak, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
A similar ritual gathering was also held in the tsunami-ravaged village of Lampuuk of Aceh Besar regency, near the provincial capital Banda Aceh, with a group of about 40 former rebel sympathizers, most of them were tsunami survivors.
GAM's spokesman Munawar Lizare said that his movement was against any celebration but stressed that GAM could not stop the people from upholding the ceremony to express their gratitude for the changes brought about by the peace deal.
Lizare warned the people who still want to celebrate "don't raise GAM flags or use GAM's symbols or name," adding that "we wouldn't be responsible should GAM flags or symbols were raised at today's (Sunday's) celebration."
Ex-fighters from GAM initially vowed to celebrate their movement's 29-year anniversary on Dec. 4 in Banda Aceh and elsewhere, despite warnings by national and local military commanders and the ongoing implementation of a peace deal between the two sides.
But after being advised against holding any sort of commemoration ceremonies by both the government and the Aceh Monitoring Mission, the team overseeing the peace agreement signed last August, GAM leaders said they decided to back down.
Government and military leaders, as well as Muslim figures were hailed the GAM's decision to cancel the commemoration, saying that was a "wise" decision from the former rebels' leaders.