Jakarta – Members of the House of Representatives have criticized the government's plan to grant amnesty to former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) member Nurdin bin Ismail, popularly known as Din Minimi.
Many of the House lawmakers said that Din was ineligible for amnesty due to his role in a separatist movement.
"He should be categorized as a criminal as per the 2005 Presidential Regulation on amnesty," deputy chairman of the House's Commission I overseeing security and foreign affairs, TB Hasanuddin, said in a hearing between lawmakers and the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan, National Police chief Badrodin Haiti, Attorney General M. Prasetyo, National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Sutiyoso and the Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly.
Tubagus said as quoted by Antara that according to the regulation, as a former member of GAM, Din should in fact be charged with treason and illegal possession of fire arms.
Fellow lawmaker Nasir Djamil of Commission III overseeing legal affairs said that Din should be prosecuted for his crime.
He said that in March 2015, during a meeting between House Commissions I and III, the Commander of the Iskandar Muda Military Command Maj. Gen. Agus Kriswanto and Aceh Police chief Insp. Gen. Husein Hamidi, both sides had concluded that Din Minimi was a member of a criminal gang.
"At the time, we asked the police and the military to join hands in crushing the movement," he said.