Acehnese pins hope on Helsinki talks<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland and Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post\/Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The Acehnese have long dreamed of peace and prosperity in their
\nhomeland, which has seen decades of conflict and, at the end of
\nlast year, tsunamis that left more than 166,000 people killed or
\nmissing and presumed dead.<\/p>\n
Local religious leaders and other community figures urged on
\nWednesday the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to end
\nthe separatist conflict in the predominantly Muslim Nanggroe Aceh
\nDarussalam.<\/p>\n
The plea came as the government and rebel group leaders geared
\nup for renewed peace talks in Helsinki, Finland, later this week,
\nfollowing the devastating tidal waves, which many have suggested
\nprovided a chance for peace in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"The warring parties must sit together and be willing to
\nbacktrack, rather than stubbornly maintaining their different
\nstances, because such an attitude cannot result in anything
\npositive and will only prolong the misery of the Acehnese,\"
\nTengku Baihaqi Yahya, secretary-general of the Aceh association
\nof the Dayah Muslim scholars, told The Jakarta Post in Banda
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
He said an earlier series of negotiations between the rebels
\nand the government -- who once reached a truce, albeit temporary,
\nin 2002 -- had broken down, due to both sides' unwillingness to
\ncompromise.<\/p>\n
In the end, those who suffered the most were the ordinary,
\ninnocent people of Aceh, he added.<\/p>\n
\"Everything that happens here, and is related to the TNI (the
\nIndonesian Military)-GAM conflict, has caused nothing but
\nsuffering and trauma for the Acehnese. And, if the next peace
\ntalks are not successful, it will be everybody's loss.<\/p>\n
\"You can imagine how much money the government has spent on
\nits military operations here. But after all that, nothing better
\nhas emerged for the Acehnese. Do they want to continue in this
\nway, after such a disaster?\" Tengku Baihaqi said.<\/p>\n
He called on both the TNI and GAM to involve local Muslim
\nleaders in peace talks this week, arguing that religious figures
\nare eager to participate, as long as their security is assured.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, the talks should be held in a Muslim country
\ninstead of Finland,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Acehnese figure Hasballah M. Saad suggested that
\nthe government and the separatist group should put the interests
\nof the local people as its top priority during the peace talks.<\/p>\n
He expressed hopes that the planned dialog would result in a
\nchance for the two sides to focus on rebuilding Aceh after the
\ncatastrophic tsunami.<\/p>\n
\"They only need a common understanding. If the demand for
\nAceh's independence is impossible, they have to formulate another
\nresolution,\" said the former human rights minister.<\/p>\n
Hasballah said the amnesty offer proposed by President Susilo
\nYudhoyono for GAM members could become a starting point for a
\nbrighter future in Aceh.<\/p>\n
If GAM did not get involved in the reconstruction and
\nrehabilitation of Aceh, the rebels could not claim themselves as
\nfreedom fighters struggling on behalf of all Acehnese people, he
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
The most important thing is that both sides should use common
\nsense during the peace talks, he added.<\/p>\n
A similar sentiment was expressed by Tengku Muslim Ibrahim,
\nchairman of the Aceh Muslim Scholar's Consultative Assembly, who
\nsaid that the Acehnese had suffered \"more than enough for
\nnothing\", due to the separatist conflict.<\/p>\n
He said the tsunami catastrophe could be viewed as a chance to
\nstop the violence.<\/p>\n
Ordinary people have voiced their own appeals for peace.<\/p>\n
\"Please, try your best during the talks, we need peace here.
\nMake it work this time, so we no longer live in fear. Personally,
\nI want Aceh to remain part of Indonesia, so GAM must surrender,\"
\nsaid Teuku Darnis, 49, who works for a labor agency in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, I don't care whether we are independent or not, as
\nlong as our lives improve,\" said another resident, Helmi.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-pins-hope-on-helsinki-talks-1447893297",
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