December 26, 2025 | 09:49 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the police dispersed a group of people flying the banned Free Aceh Movement (GAM) flag in Meunasah Mee Village, Muara Dua District, Lhokseumawe, on Thursday afternoon, December 25, 2025.
Colonel Infantry Teuku Mustafa Kamal, Head of Information for Iskandar Muda Military Command, stated that the group gathered around 10:10 a.m. They carried the forbidden flags mounted on wooden poles.
"Around 10:30 a.m., they raised the flag and waved it while shouting the word 'independence' as pedestrians passed by," Mustafa said in a written statement on Thursday, December 25, 2025.
Military Resort Commander 011/Lilawangsa, Colonel Infantry Ali Imran, coordinated with Lhokseumawe Police and arrived at the scene with local personnel. By 11:10 a.m., officers asked the crowd to stop and surrender the flags, but the group refused the request.
Mustafa Kamal reported that officers then moved to disperse the crowd and seize the banned flags. An altercation broke out during the process. During an inspection, security forces arrested one individual who was carrying a weapon.
"One of the individuals was found in possession of a Colt M1911 firearm along with five rounds of ammunition, a magazine, and a sharp weapon," he said.
The suspect was taken to the Korem 011/Lilawangsa Headquarters at 11:30 a.m. before being handed over to the police for legal action. The rest of the group left the area and returned to their homes by 12:10 p.m.
Mustafa stated that the flag is a symbol of the GAM separatist movement, which opposes national sovereignty. He noted that the prohibition is based on the Criminal Code regarding treason, Law Number 24 of 2009 regarding State Symbols, and Government Regulation Number 77 of 2007.
Roots of the Protest
Munawar Liza Zainal, a GAM negotiator for the Helsinki Agreement, stated that the group remains committed to the 2005 peace deal. "Peace is born from long suffering and has been upheld for almost twenty years," said Munawar when contacted on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
However, he warned that the state has an obligation to protect the people of Aceh, similar to the empathy shown during the 2004 tsunami. He argued that the current handling of the 2025 Aceh floods shows a decline in the government's response.
According to Munawar, early statements from central officials that downplayed the disaster, along with aid delays, have caused widespread anger. "Aceh is not asking for conflict; Aceh is asking for justice and the presence of the state," he said.
He emphasized that the return of these symbols in public spaces is an expression of collective pain and memory rather than a direct threat to peace.
Read: Aceh Extends Disaster Emergency Status to January 2026
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Batam Bans New Year Fireworks in Solidarity with Aceh
34 menit lalu
Batam City bans fireworks for New Year 2026 as a sign of solidarity for disaster victims in Sumatra.
Aceh Extends Disaster Emergency Status to January 2026
2 jam lalu
The Aceh disaster emergency status was originally set to end on December 25, 2025.
Sumatra Disaster Death Toll Reaches to 1,135
14 jam lalu
BNPB reports hundreds of thousands of people are still in evacuation posts spread across 52 regencies or cities in three provinces in Sumatra.
CORE: Sumatra Floods Hamper Economic Growth
17 jam lalu
Due to the floods in Sumatra, CORE predicts that the economic growth targets for this year and 2026 will be difficult to achieve.
Sumatra Disaster: Conditions in Affected Areas After One Month
18 jam lalu
The districts of Bener Meriah, North Aceh, and Aceh Tamiang have decided to extend the emergency response status.
Heavy Rains Trigger Renewed Flooding in Several Villages in Pidie Jaya, Aceh
1 hari lalu
Several residents of Pidie Jaya in Aceh are beginning to leave their villages in search of safer places.
Aceh's Wali Nanggroe Seeks Foreign Aid for Disaster Relief
1 hari lalu
Lembaga Wali Nanggroe of Aceh disclosed that they sought disaster relief assistance following the devastating floods in the region.
Riau University Team Reopens Health Services in Flood-Hit Aceh
2 hari lalu
On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, a health team from Riau University carried out a series of activities, including cleaning puskesmas, outpatient services, emergency unit services, wound care and minor surgery, as well as play therapy for children.
After Sumatra Floods, 100 Companies Face Environmental Audits
2 hari lalu
The Ministry of Environment is examining the involvement of hundreds of corporations in environmental damage that has triggered landslides and floods in Sumatra.
Sumatra Disaster Damages 89,000 Hectares of Rice Fields in Aceh
2 hari lalu
The Department of Agriculture and Plantation in Aceh has reported the damaged rice field data to the Ministry of Agriculture.
