Free Aceh Movement (GAM) 

Origins

GAM was established in 1976, with the aim of “liberating the Acehnese territory from Indonesia.” For centuries, Aceh was an independent sultanate, only being conquered by the Dutch in 1903 after three decades of intense fighting (1873 – 1903). When the Japanese military occupation ended in 1945, Aceh leaders supported the movement for an independent Indonesia. However, shortly after Indonesia gained independence, uprisings took place in several of the outer provinces of the recent created state, including Aceh, as their leaders felt unsatisfied with the policies of central government. Specifically, in 1953, Aceh leaders launched a rebellion that eventually failed. The conflict re-emerged in 1976, when Hasan di Tiro, the GAM main leader, and his supporters declared Aceh an independent state. Experts agree on two main grievances behind the formation of the group: the marked centralisation of state policies at the time when the group was formed and the allocation of natural resource revenues, which the Acenhese population considered unfair as the vast majority of these revenues went to the Central government.

Location / Main area of operation

GAM operates mainly in Aceh (Indonesia) ; however, its leadership was located for several years in Stockholm, Sweden .

 

Objectives

According to the group’s main leader Hasan di Tiro, GAM fights for an independent and Islamic state in Aceh, free from “all political control of the foreign regime of Jakarta.” However, a shift in GAM's main objective took place during the round of talks held in 2005, during which Malik Mahmud, GAM's chief negotiator, recognised that the group was willing to consider the option of self-government. This shift was reaffirmed in the 2005 peace accords; in which GAM renounced its demand for independence in exchange for the withdrawal of half of the Indonesian soldiers and police stationed in the region and the establishment of an Acehnese system of self-government. Within the Republic of Indonesia, Aceh is no longer governed as a province, but as a special territory (daerah istimewa), an administrative designation intended to give the area more autonomy from the central government in Jakarta.

Number of Members

GAM evolved from a small group of about 100 men in the 1970s, to hundreds of guerrillas in 1989, after training in Libya since 1986. Since then the group’s strength has varied.
Estimates of the number of GAM’s armed combatants, as of 2005, ranged from 2,000 to 5,000. The August 2005 Memorandum of Understanding, which is responsible for the demobilisation and disarmament of GAM’s members , specifically states that this armed group consists of 3,000 military troops . In this respect, it is worth noting that on 23 December 2005, the EU Aceh Monitoring Mission declared that the process to decommission GAM’s weapons was successfully completed.

 

Type : National

Though it was instructed mainly from its leadership in Sweden from 1991 onwards , GAM should be considered a national NSAG due to the concentration of its armed operations in the area of Aceh/Sumatra.

Conflict Status : Active

Two peace agreements in 2000 and 2002 allegedly failed chiefly because GAM insisted on keeping its goal of independence for Aceh and because of the central Indonesian government’s reluctance to allow GAM’s transformation into a legal political party. Nevertheless, the December 2004 tsunami and pressure on behalf of national and international actors, among others, gave new impetus to the negotiations. This resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter MoU) in Helsinki on 15 August 2005, in which the Indonesian government and GAM agreed on a ceasefire; the grant of a wide measure of self-government to the province of Aceh and a 70% share for the Aceh province of the revenues from the natural resources located within its territory; the disarmament and demobilisation of GAM’s armed combatants; the withdrawal of half of the Indonesian soldiers and police that were stationed in the region ; the grant of amnesty to all persons having participated in GAM activities; and the holding of elections for key duty holders in Aceh administration . The elections that took place in Aceh in December 2006 saw former GAM members Irwandi Yusuf and Muhammed Nazar win the elections . Both men ran as independent actors as GAM had not yet transformed into a political party; however, both were supported by the organization . Irwandy Yusuf, elected new governor of Aceh, has stated to pursue the aim to complete the objectives of the MoU, i.e. to follow “their commitment to a peaceful, comprehensive and sustainable solution to the conflict in Aceh with dignity for all.” Although GAM’s transformation into a political party was expected to take place in June 2007 , as of September 2007 no unified party had been formed. Nevertheless, some factions, such as that led by Malik Mahmud, have formally registered local parties in the province of Aceh aiming at participating in the 2009 parliamentary elections.

Since the August 2005 MoU, the armed clashes between GAM and the Indonesian army have ceased and the Aceh conflict has been transferred to the political level. In 2006, GAM was even considered as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. The risks of a new outbreak of conflict, however, have not been eliminated: ASNLF is still present and active in Sweden with the aim of complete independence; the reintegration of former combatants of GAM is deficient, and there still exists dissent between the governments of Aceh and Jakarta.
 

Structure of the organization

GAM’s organisational structure was, until the conclusion of the August 2005 MoU, divided into the top leadership in exile in Sweden (the “Aceh government in exile,” formally known as the "Aceh Security Disturbance Movement") , and the midlevel leadership, troops, members, and support based in Aceh. As GAM saw itself as the sole legitimate representative of the Acehnese people, since its creation in October 1976, it established governmental-like institutions such as a “cabinet” and several “ministers”.

Some splinter groups have emerged in the top leadership in exile due to internal differences. The main breakaway group is Majles Pemerintahan GAM (MP-GAM), led by Teuku Don Zulfahri until his assassination in June 2000, and since then, by former GAM “cabinet minister,” Husaini Hasan . After this split, GAM in Aceh was led by the “government-in-exile,” composed of Hasan di Tiro, Zaini Abdullah, and Malik Mahmud.

The part of GAM located in Aceh was divided into a civilian government and military wing. The military wing of GAM is called AGAM/TNA (Tentara Nasional Aceh) and is made of male and female combatants living in the jungle, the local field commanders and the exiled leadership in Sweden . Kerstin Schulze reports that the first female combatants, known as “Inung bale,” were recruited during the group’s geographic expansion starting in 1999 and notes the following reasons that could push those women to join the organization: the violence perpetrated by the Indonesian military and police against the families of the new recruits during the special military operations area (daerah operasi militer or DOM) during the 1990s; the alleged violence perpetrated by those forces directly against women; and the fact that many communities in Aceh had lost a high percentage of its male population during the DOM period. It is reported that female members carried out different tasks within the group ranging from leading women and girl units to serving as fighters, and intelligence and communications officers. However, it is unknown as to how many women were either part of the group or participated in armed hostilities.

Splits have also occurred within the ground forces in Aceh, caused by disputes with respect to the ideology of the group. As a result, two Islamist splinter groups emerged: Front Mujahidin Islam Aceh (FMIA), opposed to GAM's secular nationalist ideology; and a small group called Republik Islam Aceh (RIA). Both were lead by Fauzi Hasbi . However, since Hasbi's murder in February 2003, it is reported that they have both ceased to exist.

In July 2002, at a meeting in Stavanger, Norway, GAM initiated a number of changes: GAM's leadership in Sweden became the “State of Aceh government-in-exile.” Additionally and according to Kerstin Schulze, “[t]he highest administrative level became the region (wilayah), which is headed by a governor assisted by the regional military commander (panglima wilayah) and the regional police chief (ulèë béntara).”

After the peace negotiations of August 2005, GAM agreed to disarm the TNA. In the last months of 2005, GAM created two new institutions, the national council (Majelis Nasional), headed by Malik Mahmud, and the Aceh Transition Commission (KPA) . The question “over how to participate in the elections and whom to support” created tensions during the December 2006 elections and left cracks within the GAM organisation . As mentioned before, as of September 2007, no unified party has been formed by GAM members; however, some factions, such as that led by Malik Mahmud, have formally registered local parties in the province of Aceh.

 

Leadership

Bakhtiar Abdullah is the leading spokesman for GAM. After living in exile in Sweden for over 25 years, Abdullah returned to Aceh in October 2005.
Hasan Di Tiro commanded the GAM’s Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front from Sweden ; and is also a former member of the Darul Islam movement . Since he proposed his son, Karim Hasan, as the next leader of ASNLF, tensions within the organization arose.
Husaini Hasan, (based in Sweden), escaped from the Indonesian military with Hasan di Tiro, for whom he served as a lieutenant. However, the two subsequently split.
Irwandi Yusuf is the current Governor of Aceh, serving from 2007 until 2012. He was former regional leader of GAM and its senior representative to the Aceh Monitoring Mission in 2005.
Malik Mahmud was the “Minister of State” of Hasan di Tiro’s ASNLF from 1976-1979. From 1979 on, he was part of the GAM government-in-exile together with Di Tiro, Zaini Abdullah and Husaini Hasan. With the July 2002 Stavanger Declaration, Malik was promoted to “Prime Minister” of GAM . In 2005, at the MoU meetings in Helsinki, he was chief negotiator for GAM . After living 30 years in exile in Sweden, Malik returned to Aceh in April 2006.
Zaini Abdullah was, from 1976-1979, the GAM “Minister of Health” and from 1979 to present, he has been a part of the GAM government-in-exile. With the July 2002 Stavanger Declaration , he was promoted to “Foreign Minister” of GAM.
 

External aid/Third party involvement

During the 1980s, Libya was known to have provided GAM with extensive training in guerrilla and insurgency techniques . GAM also had close links with the Malay Peninsula and allegedly received financial and military support of the Acehnese community there . According to observers, weapons were smuggled by expatriate supporters in Malaysia and Singapore or ordered directly from arms dealers operating in these areas.

 

External effects of the NSAG's armed activities

According to UNHCR statistics, the refugee population from Indonesia in 2006 remained around 34,000 ; however, it is not specified as to how many of these fled from the province of Aceh.
Additionally, and according to statistics of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, as many as 150,000 people were conflict-induced IDPs in Aceh in 2006.
 

Funding

Analysts concur that GAM funded its activities through contributions from Acenhese living in Aceh and abroad . In this latter respect, it worth noting that there are around 10,000 Acenhese living abroad, with the largest communities in Malaysia, Australian, Sweden, Holland, USA and Canada. Some observers also mention funding provided by Libya during the 1980s.
In addition, analysts differ on whether or not the group engaged in criminal activities to fund its activities. While some analysts state that it does so mainly by carrying out cannabis cultivation and trafficking, as well as kidnapping for ransom , other experts expressly reject this theory.

 

Relationship with the international community

Several states and international non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations were involved in the peace process in Aceh, mainly in trying to establish relations with GAM. The NGO “Henry-Dunant Centre” (HDC, now the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue) facilitated the peace talks between GAM and the Indonesian government in 2000 and 2002 . Norway initiated the conclusion of the Stavanger Declaration of 2002 and, in 2005, the Finish NGO, the Crisis Management Initiative, promoted the MoU between GAM and the Indonesian Government . Additionally, the European Union actively supported the peace process in Aceh from August 2005 until December 2006 by implementing the EU Aceh Monitoring Mission, which observed the process of disarmament of GAM members, the reduction of Indonesian forces in Aceh and the holding of the regional elections . On 30 December 2005, then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gave an official statement, welcoming the withdrawal of Indonesian troops from Aceh and the Dissolution of GAM’s armed wing.

In addition to the peace process, GAM was engaged by Geneva Call from 2002 until the signing of the MoU to adopt the Deed of Commitment on the landmine ban. GAM attended Geneva Call’s first meeting of signatory groups to the Deed of Commitment in November 2004, and sent a delegation of women combatants to a conference in August the same year.

Finally, and as of December 2007, GAM is not listed as a terrorist organization by either the European Union or the United States.

 

Books

• Barber, Richard (ed) (2000), Aceh: The Untold Story: An Introduction to the Human Rights Crisis in Aceh (Bangkok: Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development).
• Mißbach, Antje (2005), Freiheitskämpfer oder Geschäftemacher? Der bewaffnete Kampf der Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) unter Berücksichtigung klassischer und neuer Guerillatheorien (Berlin: Logos Verlag)

 

Articles and Chapters

•  Dillon, Dana R. (2004), Southeast Asia and the Brotherhood of Terrorism, The Heritage Foundation, Heritage Lectures No. 860, available at link.
• Mietzner, Marcus (2006), The Politics of Military Reform in Post-Suharto Indonesia: Elite Conflict, Nationalism, and Institutional Resistance (Washington: East-West Center), available at link
• Schulze, Kerstin (2004), The Free Aceh Movement (GAM): Anatomy of a Separatist Organization (Washington: East-West Center), available at link
• Sukma, Rizal (2004), Security Operations in Aceh: Goals, Consequences, and Lessons (Washington: East-West Center), available at link

Reports and resolutions of intergovernmental organizations

• European Union Aceh Monitoring Mission, Press Statement, On the Outcome of the Meeting of the Commission on Security Arrangements (COSA), 12 March 2006, available at link
• European Union Aceh Monitoring Mission, Press Conference on the Occasion of the End of the EU-led Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), 18 December 2006, available at link
• EU Council Secretariat, EU Monitoring Mission in Aceh (Indonesia), September 2005 – December 2006, available at link
• EU Council, Council Joint Action 2005/643/CFSP of 9 September 2005 on the European Union Monitoring Mission in Aceh (Indonesia) (Aceh Monitoring Mission – AMM)
• EU Council, Common Position of 27 December 2001 on the Application of Specific Measures to Combat Terrorism, Official Journal of the European Communities L 234/13, 2005.
• Feith, Pieter, Head of the Aceh Monitoring Mission, Towards a Weapons Free Aceh, Public Announcement, 23 December 2005, available at link
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 2006 Global Trends: Refugees, Asylum-seekers, Returnees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons, June 2007 (revised 16 July 2007), available at link
   

Governmental reports

Reports of think tanks and non-governmental organizations

• Alamir, Melanie, Kievelitz, Uwe & Tumani, Özlem, Konfliktdynamik, Sicherheitsentwicklung und Friedensperspektiven in Aceh, Indonesie, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GTZ), (February/March 2005), available at link
• Beeck, Christine, Re-paving the Road to Peace: Analysis of the Implementation of DD&R (Disarmament and Reintegration) in Aceh Province, Indonesia, Brief 35 (Bonn: Bonn International Center for Conversion), available at link
• Heiduk, Felix (2006), Province of Aceh/Indonesia, Series of Country-Related Conflict Analyses, commissioned by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (Berlin: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung), available at link
• Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Indonesia: Support Needed for Return and Re-Integration of Displaced Acehnese Following Peace Agreement, 19 July 2006, available at link
• International Crisis Group, Aceh: A New Chance for Peace, Asia Briefing No 40, 15 August 2005, available at link
• International Crisis Group, Aceh: Now for the Hard Part, Asia Briefing No 48, 29 March 2006, available at link
• International Crisis Group, Aceh: So Far, So Good, Asia Briefing No 44, 13 December 2005, available at link
• International Crisis Group, Aceh’s Local Elections: The Role of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Asia Briefing No 57, 29 November 2006, available at link
• International Crisis Group, Indonesia Backgrounder: How the Jemaah Islamiyah Terrorist Network Operates, Asia Report No 43, 11 December 2002, available at link
• International Crisis Group, Indonesia: How GAM Won in Aceh, Asia Briefing No 61, 22 March 2007, available at link
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (2001), The Military Balance 2001-02 (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
• McCulloch, Lesley (2005): Aceh: Now and Then, Minority Rights Group International (London: Kavita Graphics).
• Mazurana, Dyan (2004), Women in Armed Oppositions Groups Speak on War, Protection and Obligations Under International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law (Geneva: Geneva Call and PSIO), available at link
• Robinson, Colin, In the Spotlight: Indonesia's Free Aceh Movement, Center for Defense Information, 13 May 2002, available at link
• Ufen, Andreas (2007), “Wahlen in Aceh: Neue Hoffnung auf Frieden?,” 1 German Institute of Global and Area Studies Focus (2007), available at link

 

Press Information (in chronological order)

• “Priorities for a GAM-Led Government in Aceh” (Jones, Sidney), The Jakarta Post, 29 December 2006.
• “Watch Out for More Surprises in Indonesia” (Jones, Sidney), Australian Financial Review, 3 January 2007.
•  “Aceh Needs Jakarta's Trust and Support” (Sukma, Rizal), The Jakarta Post, 5 March 2007.
• “Indonesia: Religious Group Members Targeted by North Aceh villagers,” BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, 13 March 2007.
•  “Priorities for a GAM-led Government in Aceh” (Jones, Sidney), The Jakarta Post, 21 March 2007.

 

Interviews

Internet resources

Reports and interviews

• Website of the Committee for a Workers’ International, Interview with prime minister in exile of Aceh (Arne Johansson), 20 January 2005, available at link.
• Ananta, Aris, Aceh's New Leaders, Opinion Asia, 9 February 2007, available at link
• Ramasamy, P., Aceh: Provincial Elections and Beyond, Opinion Asia, 2 March 2007, available at link
• Reid, Anthony, Aceh Finds a Leader, Opinion Asia, 17 December 2006, available at link

Governmental websites

• Government of Aceh, available at link

Intergovernmental Organizations

• European Union Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), information available at link

Website of Armed groups

• ASNLF, available at link

Think Tanks

• Military think-thank National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas), available at link
• GlobalSecurity.org, Knowledge Base, Military, Para-Military Groups, Aceh, available at link
• MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base, Group, Free Aceh Movement (GAM), available at link
• FAS Federation of American Scientists, Intelligence Resource Program, Para-States, Aceh Merdeka, available at link

 

Statements of the armed group

• Speech by Mr Malik Mahmud (21 January 2006), available at link
• Stavanger Declaration issued by the Executive Committee of the Worldwide Achehnese Representatives Meeting in Stavanger, Norway, at the closing of the 3 day meeting from July 19 to 21, 2002, available at link
   

Agreements involving armed groups