COHA has ceased to exist, says minister<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) has ceased to exist
\nafter the government and separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
\nfailed to reach an agreement during a meeting in Tokyo over the
\nweekend, a Cabinet minister says.<\/p>\n
\"Substantially, COHA has already ended and the role of HDC as
\npeace facilitator has also ended,\" said Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Hassan Wirayuda, referring to Switzerland-based non-
\ngovernmental organization Henry Dunant Centre, which brokered the
\npeace pact signed on Dec. 9, 2002.<\/p>\n
\"An agreement has value only if it serves its objectives and
\npurposes, which in COHA's case has already failed,\" Hassan said.<\/p>\n
He underlined that there was no need for the government to
\nofficially withdraw from the deal as the break down of the peace
\ntalks had rendered the peace deal ineffective.<\/p>\n
The government and GAM met in Tokyo on Saturday and Sunday to
\ndiscuss ways to salvage the fragile peace in Aceh, where the
\nrebels have been fighting for independence for resource-rich Aceh
\nsince 1976. Over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been
\nkilled in that period.<\/p>\n
The peace talks broke down after GAM leaders flatly rejected
\nthe peace terms put forward by the government. The government had
\ndemanded that GAM renounce its aspirations for independence,
\naccept the special autonomy status for Aceh, and lay down its
\narms.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, President Megawati Soekarnoputri issued a decree
\nimposing martial law in Aceh and vowed to crush GAM in the next
\nsix months. Close to 27,000 soldiers, including 3,000
\nreinforcement troops, are currently stationed in the province.<\/p>\n
The international community regretted on Monday the failure of
\nboth the government and GAM to seize the opportunity to settle
\nthe Aceh problem through peaceful means and encouraged both
\nparties to return to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n
The United States, European Union and Japan -- cochairs of the
\nAceh reconstruction meeting in Tokyo last year -- said they \"do
\nnot believe that obstacles to a peaceful solution are
\ninsurmountable, even at this late hour\".<\/p>\n
\"For that reason, it is of grave concern that renewed
\nhostilities would take Aceh further away from the path of peace,\"
\nthey said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n
British Ambassador to Indonesia Richard Gozney said it was
\nregrettable that the Tokyo meeting failed, but stressed that he
\ncould understand the decision to launch military operations in
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia has been serious in attempting to salvage peace in
\nAceh. My government respects Indonesia's requirement in the peace
\ntalks,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Deputy Defense Minister Shafie Apdal, meanwhile,
\nurged Indonesia to restore peace in Aceh province as soon as
\npossible, saying the violence there could undermine stability in
\nthe region.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging that the problem was for Indonesia to resolve,
\nhe said: \"A resolution is important to preserve peace and
\nstability in our region.\"<\/p>\n
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark also called for the
\nresumption of peace talks.<\/p>\n
\"It's a very worrying situation and the position of the New
\nZealand government is that we would like to see the parties
\nreturn to mediation and negotiation,\"she told a news conference.<\/p>\n
\"We feel that special autonomy was a workable solution if both
\nsides were committed to it and the only way to work that through
\nis to get back into mediation,\" Clark said.<\/p>\n
Japanese officials expressed a willingness to host more
\nmeetings between the two sides.<\/p>\n
But Tokyo has no plans to push such talks until it assesses
\nthe mood of both sides, underlining that after the Sunday's
\nmeeting \"both sides are a little emotional.\"<\/p>\n
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said in a statement
\nthat Japan wants to facilitate a peaceful solution and called the
\nbreakdown of the two-day talks \"extremely disappointing\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/coha-has-ceased-to-exist-says-minister-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}