abstract:The Free Aceh Movement ( or simply GAM, , also known as the Acheh-Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, during which over 15,000 lives are believed to have been lost.
Tensions between Jakarta and Aceh have been running high recently over the decision by Aceh's parliament to use the flag of the now defunct separatist FreeAcehMovement as its official symbol, the BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta reports.