Donors push for peace in Aceh<\/p>\n
Nani Farida and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post,
\nBanda Aceh\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
International donors made a last ditch effort on Friday to
\nsalvage a peace deal signed by the government and the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) in December 2002 as the deadline for the rebels to
\ndisarm and accept the special autonomy status draws nearer.<\/p>\n
Expressing concern over the breakdown of the peace process,
\nJapan, the European Union (EU) and the United States issued a
\njoint statement, urging both sides to \"put above other interests
\nthe clear wish of the Acehnese people to live in peace and
\nsecurity\".<\/p>\n
\"We strongly urge GAM, without further delay, to declare its
\nunconditional support for a peaceful solution. We strongly hope
\nthat the Indonesian government can pursue peaceful alternatives
\nto launching a combined operation in Aceh,\" the statement said.<\/p>\n
Japan, the U.S. and the EU are cochairs of last year's Tokyo
\nmeeting organized to mobilize funds to finance post-war
\nreconstruction in the province.<\/p>\n
The peace agreement crumbled in Aceh after the government
\npulled out of a long-awaited Joint Council meeting designed to
\nresolve violations to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement
\n(COHA).<\/p>\n
Donor countries reiterated their support for Indonesia's
\nterritorial integrity, but urged both parties to return to the
\nnegotiating table immediately.<\/p>\n
While donor countries demanded a peaceful settlement to the
\nAceh issue, the government and GAM rebels continued preparations
\nfor a possible military showdown in the country's westernmost
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
The government has demanded that GAM accept the special
\nautonomy arrangement for Aceh and lay down their weapons before
\nMay 12 or face a military offensive.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto
\nreplaced Aceh Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf, an
\nAcehnese, with his chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Endang Suwarya, on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
\"We need to ensure the continuation of the operation and Djali
\nis nearing his retirement age,\" Endriartono said after a Cabinet
\nmeeting in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
A reliable source told The Jakarta Post Friday that Djali was
\nconsidered \"too weak\" to face GAM and TNI needed a commander who
\ncould act sternly during the planned operations and lead more
\nthan 30,000 troops in the province.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Banda Aceh, police arrested four members of the
\nJoint Security Committee (JSC) from the GAM side as they were
\npreparing to leave Banda Aceh for Jakarta on Friday evening.
\nPolice said they were arrested because they were trying to leave
\nthe province without securing permission from the head of the
\nJSC, Maj. Gen. Thanungsak Tuvinan.<\/p>\n
The four were Sofyan Ibraham Tiba, GAM senior JSC envoy, Amri
\nAbdul Wahab, Teungku Kamaruzzaman and Amni Achmad Marzuki.<\/p>\n
JSC is the monitoring team set up under COHA. It consists of
\nrepresentatives from the Indonesian government, peace broker
\nHenry Dunant Centre (HDC) and GAM.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, GAM issued on Friday a general alert calling for
\nits guerrilla fighters to return to defense positions and
\nconsolidate ranks at their bases.<\/p>\n
In a statement signed by GAM military spokesman Teungku Sofyan
\nDawood, the separatist movement warned the Acehnese of entering a
\nsecond colonial war against the Indonesian government.<\/p>\n
GAM also \"ordered\" the public to stop their activities on May
\n12, including the operation of vital oil and gas projects in Aceh
\nto ensure the safety of civilians there.<\/p>\n
The movement has told the projects to empty tanks filled with
\nfuel and dangerous chemicals within 24 hours after the government
\ndeclares the start of the military operation.<\/p>\n
\"We urge all concerned parties to adhere to these instructions
\nand guidelines. Failing to respect them means ignoring their own
\nsafety, and if anything undesirable happens to them, they will
\nhave only themselves to blame,\" Dawood said.<\/p>\n
The government guaranteed that all projects would continue to
\noperate should a military offensive begin. \"We have plenty of
\ntroops, and these vital projects will operate as usual,\"
\nEndriartono said.<\/p>\n
Apart from the preparations made by both sides, an unofficial
\nwar has broken out in the province as sporadic gunfight continued
\nunabated, claiming dozens of lives over the past week.<\/p>\n
Fearing for their lives, more than 6,000 refugees are
\nsheltering at a mosque and an elementary school in Bireuen, said
\nJunaidi Abu Bakar, a refugee coordinator.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of refugees have also fled their homes in Central
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
The central government has allocated some Rp 400 billion for
\nAcehnese refugees and will send a team on Saturday to assist the
\nlocal administration in dealing with the refugees.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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