Thirty former members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), who were recently released from prison, arrived back home Tuesday in Banda Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.
Arriving on commercial flights, the former convicts were greeted by GAM officials, including former GAM finance minister Muhammad Usman Lampoh Awe and spokesman Munawarliza Zain, as well as a group from the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM).
Abu Hindon, GAM's commander in Deli who was incarcerated in North Sumatra's Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary for his alleged role in the Medan bombing, was seen among the group. He was unable to hold back tears.
Another former prisoner, Raju, said eight of them had been released from the penitentiary but three others remained. "I'm so happy to be free but I'm also sad since some of our friends are not yet free like us," said the 29-year-old Raju, who served two years of his eight-year term. "As a GAM member my job was to set the bomb, to ensure the soldiers did not only stay in Aceh but in other places as well," he said.
Hundreds of former rebels were released from prison following the signing of a decree granting amnesty and unconditional release to members of GAM by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The amnesty is a key condition of the landmark peace deal signed in Helsinki on Aug. 15. It has been granted to people who were involved with GAM, including Indonesian nationals and former Indonesian nationals who have taken up foreign citizenship.
GAM spokesman Munawarliza said Tuesday that 34 former GAM members remained in a number of penitentiaries across the country. They were not granted amnesty by the government because they were imprisoned for crimes such as bombings, the possession of firearms and robbery. "We're working to ensure all GAM prisoners are released as required in the Helsinki peace deal," he said.
He also hoped the government would continue to pay attention to former GAM convicts who had been released. "There's a need to provide the released prisoners with financial assistance so they can be independent."