Agence France Presse
February 5, 2004

Two alleged Aceh separatist rebels have gone on trial in the Indonesian capital for a blast at the national parliament last year and could face death by firing squad if found guilty of terrorism, press reports say.

Prosecutors Wednesday accused Adityawarman and Fadli Hasan of assembling the bomb planted at a building in the parliament complex in July, the Jakarta Post and Koran Tempo newspaper reported. No one was hurt.

The two are charged with violating an anti-terrorism law issued following the October 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people.

Prosecutor Fentje Eloway said the parliament bombing was intended to show the real strength of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting since 1976 for independence for Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra island.

Police have also linked the two defendants with two bombings in April last year -- one at Jakarta airport and the other near the United Nations office building. There were no fatalities in either attack.

The trial was adjourned until February 12.

GAM spokesmen could not be reached for comment.

Authorities have blamed GAM for some bomb attacks in the capital, including one at the Jakarta Stock Exchange in 2000 which killed 10 people. The rebel group denies involvement in the blasts.

Indonesian troops launched an all-out offensive to crush GAM last May after peace talks broke down.