Jakarta (Antara Bali) - House Commission III member Tjatur Sapto Edy has welcomed the plan of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to grant amnesty to Aceh separatist member, Din Minimi.
"Giving amnesty (to Minimi) will have benefit," Tjatur Sapto Edy said in a discussion on "Amnesty for Din Minimi" at the Parliament building here on Wednesday.
According to Tjatur, Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) is now waiting for a presidential decision to be forwarded to the DPR for consideration of the House.
Granting an amnesty, he said, falls within the presidents authority but the issue has not yet been considered by the House.
"The amnesty will be granted with certain political considerations. But as per the current condition, the decision of Jokowi to grant amnesty is more effective than waiting for the legal process to proceed, he said.
Tjatur, who is a politician of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said grant of amnesty would help create conditions where no party is hurt, because amnesty is granted based on the principles of justice, usefulness, effectiveness and efficiency so that all separatist members return to the normal life in society.
Lawmaker Syafullah Tamliha of the House Commission I shared the opinion of Tjatur, but reminded the President that he should consult the House if he wanted to extend the amnesty.
"The President, who is planning to grant amnesty, has not yet sent a letter on this issue to the DPR," Syafullah said.
Syafullah, a politician of the United Development Party (PPP), said Din Minimi has 40 members and is supported by 75 people.
The legislator predicted that the Din Mimini movement has been triggered by economic problems since many widows and children were abandoned by their husbands as a result of the Separatist Aceh Movement (GAM) , social gaps and deviation from the regional budget assumptions.
"Such circumstances should be anticipated to prevent Acem from becoming a state within the state," he said.
Political observer Kusnanto Anggoro reminded the government of the importance of being careful in granting amnesty. There is no guarantee that grant of amnesty will resolve the problem.
According to him, in order to settle the Aceh case, the government needs to resolve this issue in a persuasive manner. "If the problem is not resolved, it can come up again in the future," he said.(WDY)
