GAM says cannot guarantee safety of ExxonMobil?s gas fields
Friday, June 8 2001 - 02:20 AM WIB
GAM clearly stated that it would not disturb the American oil, gas giant?s gas facilities because it would be against the spirit of its struggle, the movement?s spokesman Sofyan Ibrahim told Kompas daily of the movement?s response to the inquiry sent by the six American senators.
But the fact that the gas facilities often used by the Indonesian military as their base could not prevent GAM members from responding the possible attacks from the gas fields, he said.
Sofyan said that GAM had never used ExxonMobil as its target but the American senators should also understood the position of the GAM members because the movement had often found activities of the Indonesian military in the oil giant?s oil fields.
?Within this context, it should be understood that the GAM members should defend themselves if they are attacked by the Indonesian military members posted in ExxonMobil,? he was quoted as saying by daily.
The six American senators recently sent letters to the movement?s military command Abdullah Syafi?ie seeking the guarantee from the movement not to disturb the activities of the gas facilities, which are operated by the subsidiary of the United States-based ExxonMobil. The senators also raised questions related to the status of the movement and their political aim.
Sofyan said that Syafi?ie was only able to answer issues related to the movement?s military while those related to the political aspect of the movement?s activities were forwarded to GAM chairman Tengku Hasan Tiro in Sweden.
The senators who sent letters include Patrick Leahy, Edward M Kennedy, Russel D Paingold, Dianna Feinstein, Robbert Torricelli. All of them are from the Deomcratic Party. The other one Senator James M Jefford is from the Republic Party. (*)