Over 500 have been convicted of crimes against the state (makar). Around 140 have been transferred to harsh conditions of detention in Java, far away from their homes and families.

Most of the prisoners were convicted after unfair trials and many are being subjected to torture or ill-treatment and systematic abuse of their rights as detainees.

1. Write to your MP urging him or her to call upon the Foreign Secretary to protest to the Indonesian government about the treatment of the prisoners and demand their release.

A sample letter is below (or preferably use your own wording).

2. Write in similar terms to the Indonesian Government: President Megawati Sukarnoputri, President of the Republic of Indonesia, Istana Merdeka, Jakarta 10110.

3. Copy your letters to the Indonesian Ambassador in your country and the martial law authority in Aceh: Brigadier-General George Toisutta, KODAM Iskandar Muda, Jl. Ahmad Yani, Simpang Lima, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

4. Circulate this Urgent Action to your friends and networks and organise a campaign with public events in your locality.

Sample letter

Dear [name]

Since the start of martial law in Aceh on 19 May 2003, over 1500 alleged supporters of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have been detained and interrogated. Over 750 have been tried and convicted of crimes against the state (makar) and sentenced to terms of imprisonment varying from one to twenty years.

It is questionable whether many of those detained are GAM combatants. Most are likely to be Acehnese villagers who may or may not have GAM sympathies.

Most of the prisoners were convicted after unfair trials in emergency courts. The trials ended in record time and often verdicts were handed down after only a brief hearing. Very often the only witness presented was the arresting police or military officer and there was no other evidence against the accused. Most of the judges and prosecuto! rs came from outside Aceh and were seemingly brought in by the authorities to ‘clear’ the large amount of prisoners in a ‘legal’ way. More than often a defence lawyer was not present. The Legal Aid Bureau (LBH) in Banda Aceh has limited capacity, has had to function under extremely difficult circumstances and has been able to handle only a few dozen cases.

According to local sources, many of the prisoners have been beaten, kicked, punched, assaulted with sticks or subjected to other forms of torture or ill-treatment, as well as suffering systematic abuses of their rights as detainees.

A group of 143 prisoners have been transferred to jails in Central Java, including Nusakambangan, a prison island from the Dutch colonial period. Newspaper reports suggest that the prisoners were heavily shackled to each other. They include five GAM negotiators who were involved in the peace talks in Geneva. Families have not been informed. The men hav! e been mixed with criminal prisoners and have been subjected to severe violence and intimidation. The military authorities have said the prisoners were transferred to break their connections with their alleged separatist colleagues and, through the mingling with other prisoners, to dilute their strong ideological views on independence. The treatment of the prisoners and their transfer to locations far away from their homes and families is a flagrant breach of international standards concerning the treatment of prisoners.

Given the unfair nature of the trials and the fact that many of the prisoners have been detained because of their alleged or actual political beliefs or allegiances, it is clear that a large number are political prisoners.

We urge you to call upon the Foreign Secretary to protest to the Indonesian government about the treatment of the prisoners and to demand their immediate and unconditional release.

We are grateful to you for you assistance.

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]