Civil emergency rejected in Aceh<\/p>\n
Nani Farida and Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post,
\nBanda Aceh\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh joined forces with the provincial
\nlegislative council, clerics and non-governmental organizations
\nto oppose the imposition of a civil emergency in Aceh, saying
\nthat conflict resolution should be entrusted to the provincial
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
Speaking before local officials and clerics in Montasik, Aceh
\nBesar, on Saturday evening, Puteh revealed that 90 percent of
\nthe Acehnese people, including clerics playing a dominant role in
\nthe province were against the proposed imposition of a civil
\nemergency to end the mounting conflict.<\/p>\n
Puteh said he would inform President Megawati Soekarnoputri of
\nthe Acehnese people's wishes in his meeting with her in Jakarta
\non July 16.<\/p>\n
\"It is necessary to enforce the law to restore security and
\norder but this must be followed simultaneously with concrete
\nactions to improve the people's social welfare because the prime
\nproblem here is not the war but the absence of social justice,\"
\nhe said, gaining a warm applause from his audience.<\/p>\n
Puteh made the statement only hours after Coordinating
\nMinister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono and his entourage left Langsa, East Aceh, for Jakarta
\nthrough the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan.<\/p>\n
In a dialog with the minister in Pidie district on Friday,
\nclerics also called on the government and security authorities to
\nreturn to the negotiating table with the Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM), instead of using a repressive approach, to seek a peaceful
\nsolution to the prolonged conflict.<\/p>\n
Tengku Jauhari Rasyid, an influential ulema in Aceh, suggested
\nSusilo use dialog as the main means to resolve the Aceh issue.<\/p>\n
\"Let's end the problems in Aceh through dialog. Pak Minister
\nyou have revealed to the public your kind intentions. So, please
\nexchange ideas in a good way.\"<\/p>\n
The ulema was responding to Susilo's intention to take
\nconcrete action to stop the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
\nwho he claimed has rejected further dialog with Jakarta and
\ncontinues to launch assaults on civilians.<\/p>\n
Susilo, who was here, accompanied by Indonesian Military
\nCommander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and home minister Hari Sabarno
\nto seek inputs from numerous sides, said during the meeting that
\nthe government was ready to dialog with all sides, including GAM,
\nanywhere in the country to seek a comprehensive solution to the
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
Both the provincial legislature and human rights activists
\nwith whom he held dialogs in Banda Aceh on Monday and Tuesday
\nhave expressed their objections to a repressive approach to solve
\nthe conflict.<\/p>\n
Susilo ended his week-long Aceh visit with a dialog with local
\nofficials, activists and clerics in Langsa, East Aceh on Saturday
\nmorning.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/civil-emergency-rejected-in-aceh-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}