GAM must be firmly dealt with<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post of Aug. 30, 2000, page 1, reported that there
\nwas no decision yet whether to extend the humanitarian pause in
\nAceh. This news was puzzling, because there are so many
\nviolations by members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) which
\ncannot be tolerated. They feel that with this humanitarian pause
\nthey have a free hand to attack the law enforcers and hide behind
\n\"unknown armed gangs\" which are actually members of GAM.<\/p>\n
The government should for once be firm, because the attitude
\nof GAM cannot be tolerated any more. During the independence
\ncelebrations, they intimidated people not to hoist the national
\nred and white flag. Killing and kidnapping are going on and there
\nis not much the government's troops can do. Everything the
\ngovernment troops are doing is wrong and receive wide negative
\ncoverage by the press. I don't think that GAM is sincere in
\ncomplying with what they had signed in Switzerland.<\/p>\n
I personally think that extending this understanding reached
\nin Switzerland is useless, because GAM will not abide by it,
\nwhile the government forces are in a more difficult political
\nsituation and have to abide by the agreement. GAM can easily deny
\nany violations and claim that it was not perpetrated by their
\npeople, as they can easily take off their uniforms when in
\naction.<\/p>\n
I think that before extending this understanding, the GAM
\nshould hand over all their weapons to the government and the
\ngovernment forces should insist that GAM honor the cessation of
\narmed hostilities and be responsible for all armed attacks
\nagainst the people or the government troops. According to
\nintelligence reports there are no armed gangs in Aceh except the
\nGAM.<\/p>\n
Why is the government so reluctant to take firm steps and wipe
\nout once and for all the GAM rebels. So many encouraging
\nstatements of the President have been stated, but not a single
\nfirm step has been taken against the rebels.<\/p>\n
The law is the law and there should be no negotiation about
\nimplementation of the law. The GAM rebellion has been going on
\nfor so long and the common people suffered a lot. The government
\nshould have the courage to take firm steps for the sake of unity
\nof the republic. And I think if the people see for themselves
\nthat the government is firm, the people will flock to the side of
\nthe government and help. Now they don't know what to do.<\/p>\n
If they support the government and the government \"looses\"
\nthen they will suffer. On the other hand if they support the
\nrebels and the government wins, they may get punished. So for the
\nsake of everlasting peace in Aceh, act now and free the Aceh
\npeople from further sufferings. And don't let foreigners or
\nforeign organization interfere in our domestic affairs.<\/p>\n
SOEGIH ARTO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gam-must-be-firmly-dealt-with-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }