Monkeys See Monkeys Do

THE STATE OF ACHEH THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
P.O.BOX 130, S-145 01
NORSBORG, SWEDEN
TEL : +46 8 531 83833 FAX: +46 8 531 91275
26 August 2004

MONKEYS SEE MONKEYS DO

The Government of the State of Acheh (PNA) condemns in the strongest terms the uncivilised action of the Indonesian colonial government for resorting again into exiling Achehnese detainees from Acheh to Java. This time, 4 of the 5 Achehnese leading peace negotiators and 70 other detainees have been transferred to different jails in Java chained on their arms and ankels during transportation. The arrest of the negotiators was one of the prococations performed by Jakarta in order to derail the peace talks in Tokyo in 2002. Exiling the negotiators and other prisoners are acts of treason against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international humanitarian laws.

Some of the negotiators will be placed at the Sukamiskin ("Poverty Loving") prison where Soekarno was once jailed by the Dutch colonial government. It is once more evident that the Indonesian colonial government has no qualm about imitating its former master's atrocities in order to subdue the struggle of the Achehnese people.

The government of the State of Acheh expresses its deep sorrow to all the family members of the detainees who have been exiled to Java before and now, especially when many of them are in very bad health conditions due to beatings and very conditions of the detention centres in Acheh.

The sick get medical treanment only from doctors provided by their families after bribing jail wardens. Now that they have been exiled so far away from Acheh, even such treatments are no longer possible.

This situation proves once again that the Indonesian colonial regim has nothing to offer to the Achehnese people but oppression and the destruction of their dignity.

But the harder the oppression the stronger will be the resoluteness of the Achehnese people to fight for their independence from Indonesian colonialism.

The Government of the State of Acheh in exile

Malik Mahmud

Prime Minister

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