Dark future tipped for govt-GAM talks<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Plans to hold further peace talks between the government and the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) look likely to stalemate as both parties
\ncannot agree on the final goal of the dialog.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security
\nAffairs Widodo A.S. said on Monday that at the recent informal
\nmeeting in Finland, the government sought a "comprehensive and
\npermanent solution" to the separatist conflict in tsunami-ravaged
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
The GAM delegates meanwhile brought the concept of "a
\ntemporarily settlement merely aimed at ending the hostilities
\nthrough a cease-fire", he said.<\/p>\n
"With regard to stopping the conflict, we want a comprehensive
\nand permanent solution ... not just talk about a cease-fire",
\nWidodo said after a breakfast meeting with President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"If there should be a further dialog, we want a clear agenda
\nand substance to serve as the basis for discussions. Otherwise,
\nwe're not sure whether we would like to sit down again for
\ntalks," said Widodo, a retired four-star Navy admiral who was
\namong the three ministers representing the government in the two-
\nday talks with GAM leaders in Helsinki.<\/p>\n
The top-level delegations from the government and GAM ended
\ntheir dialog on Saturday with no concrete agreement on how to end
\nwar in Aceh, but vowed to meet again soon to seek a peaceful
\nsolution.<\/p>\n
The two sides refused to disclose when the next meeting would
\ntake place, but it will reportedly be held in Helsinki on Feb.
\n21.<\/p>\n
Separately, chief negotiator Minister of Justice and Human
\nRights Hamid Awaluddin insisted that the special autonomy offer
\nfor the resource-rich province was as far as the government would
\ngo to end the separatist conflict.<\/p>\n
During the Helsinki dialog, Hamid said, the government
\ndelegation provided the GAM leaders with a copy of Law No.
\n18\/2002 on Special Autonomy for Aceh and supporting documents.<\/p>\n
"In principle, they (the GAM leaders) said they are willing to
\nlearn about the concept in detail," he said.<\/p>\n
From Sweden, GAM spokesman Bakhtiar Abdullah said that during
\nthe recent meeting, his side would only bring "practical and
\nrealistic issues to the discussion", particularly how to ensure
\nthat tsunami survivors could get relief aid quickly.<\/p>\n
"How can we stop a three decades-long conflict in only one or
\ntwo days?," he said.<\/p>\n
Bakhtiar lamented Indonesia's efforts to limit the talks to
\nonly discussing special autonomy for Aceh, which meant that "the
\nUnitary State of the Republic of Indonesia is the final concept".<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the facilitator of the talks, the Finland-based
\nCrisis Management Initiative, said it was preparing the
\nguidelines for the next meeting.<\/p>\n
Bakhtiar said GAM's willingness to attend the next set of
\ntalks depended on the proposed guidelines.<\/p>\n
He said the rebel group would insist on demanding an
\nindependence referendum for Aceh instead of accepting the special
\nautonomy status.<\/p>\n
"But it must be the aspirations of the majority of people in
\nAceh," he said.<\/p>\n
"The idea of a referendum was not taken to the negotiation
\ntable (in the last talks) ... But we must discuss this in the
\nnext step," Backtiar told The Jakarta Post from Sweden.<\/p>\n
He said it would be easy to hold a referendum in Aceh with the
\nhelp of international monitoring groups.<\/p>\n
The rebels began fighting for independence in 1976, accusing
\nthe central government of plundering the province's resources.
\nMore than 12,000 people have died in the conflict.<\/p>\n
Elections -- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dark-future-tipped-for-govt-gam-talks-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }