Critical Aceh peace talks to commence<\/p>\n
Achmad Sukarsono, Reuters\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The fate of one of the world's longest-running conflicts may be
\ndecided in a few days when negotiators representing the
\nIndonesian government and rebels in Aceh province meet in Finland
\nthis week.<\/p>\n
It will be the fifth round of talks since peace negotiations
\nresumed between the two warring sides under Finnish mediation in
\nthe wake of the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster that flattened Aceh and
\nleft nearly 170,000 people dead or missing.<\/p>\n
It looks to be the most crucial.<\/p>\n
Earlier rounds have produced agreement in principle between
\nthe government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on many
\ncontentious issues, but the meeting expected to start on Tuesday
\nis the one where delegates have to put pen to paper and agree on
\na draft document spelling out the specifics.<\/p>\n
\"If there is no agreement, that can mean all-out war again,\"
\nIndonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has said.<\/p>\n
The Aceh conflict that has flared and sputtered over three
\ndecades has already killed more than 12,000 people, mostly
\ncivilians.<\/p>\n
Kalla is the mastermind behind the talks that have been
\ncriticized by some generals, nationalist members of the
\nparliament and even a government think tank.<\/p>\n
The critics fear the deal will make major concessions to the
\nrebels that will encourage separatists in other parts of the
\nsprawling archipelago of multi-ethnic Indonesia, the world's
\nfourth most populous nation.<\/p>\n
\"We have asked the talks to stop but the government wants to
\nwalk alone. So, any outcome will be the responsibility of the
\ngovernment, especially Kalla,\" Permadi, an outspoken legislator
\nfrom the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, told
\nReuters.<\/p>\n
If the July talks can end with an agreed draft, the two sides
\nwill formally sign a truce in August, government officials say.
\nGAM guerrillas refused to say whether a deal could be struck next
\nweek. \"The Helsinki talks are not over yet. So, we are not
\ninterested in making assumptions,\" said Sofyan Dawood, spokesman
\nof GAM's military wing.<\/p>\n
Their struggle has its roots in a long history of the fiercely
\nproud and devoutly Islamic Acehnese fighting against outsiders,
\nincluding the Dutch in colonial times, and more recently in
\ncomplaints over how much of Aceh's revenue from natural gas and
\nother resources was going to the central government.<\/p>\n
There are still some sticking points.<\/p>\n
The early talks suggested the rebels were willing to abandon
\ntheir demand for complete independence for Aceh, but in exchange
\nwanted to be able to operate as a political party in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Jakarta, however, has said that would mean revising the
\ncountry's national electoral laws and would provide an incentive
\nfor groups elsewhere in the nation with unique ethnic, religious
\nor cultural concerns to ask for similar privileges.<\/p>\n
Under existing law all parties in Indonesia must have a
\nheadquarters in Jakarta and branches in more than half of the
\ncountry's 33 provinces.<\/p>\n
One route it appears Jakarta may push is for existing parties
\nto let the rebels into their ranks.<\/p>\n
A government official close to the talks has told Reuters
\nKalla had called leaders of other parties and told them to
\nrecruit former GAM members and allow ex-separatists to run for
\npolitical positions on their tickets.<\/p>\n
Despite vocal criticism from many in parliament, the
\nIndonesian public believes the government's dovish approach may
\nsucceed in securing a workable deal, according to a recent poll.<\/p>\n
But the opposition is up for a fight. \"We can't let this
\nprocess keep on going. My understanding is GAM is closer to
\ncreating a new state,\" Sidharto Danusubroto, deputy of the
\nHouse's defense commission, told Reuters.<\/p>\n
\"If there is any agreement that threatens the existence of the
\nunitary state of Indonesia, the parliament will reject it.\"<\/p>",
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