GAM reluctant to surrender arms: Imam Suja'<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The mystery behind the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)'s decision to
\ndelay signing a peace agreement with the government was partly
\nexplained by a respected Acehnese Muslim leader over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Tengku Imam Suja', one of six Acehnese religious leaders and
\npublic figures invited by the Henry Dunan Centre (HDC) to meet
\nwith GAM leaders in Geneva last week, told The Jakarta Post that
\nGAM was still reluctant to turn over their arms as stipulated in
\nthe draft peace agreement.<\/p>\n
\"GAM fighters feel that if their weapons are collected and put
\nin storage, they will have no more power and they don't want
\nthat,\" Imam Suja' said.<\/p>\n
The government had wanted to sign the peace agreement before
\nthe fasting month of Ramadhan began, probably on Nov. 6.<\/p>\n
Other religious leaders and public figures invited by the HDC
\nto hold talks with GAM leaders in Geneva were Muslim Ibrahim,
\nDaniel Djuned, Isa Sulaiman, Alyasa' Abubakar and Hakim Nyak.<\/p>\n
They met with Hasan Tiro, Bakhtiar Abdullah, Zaini Abdullah
\nand Malik Mahmud.<\/p>\n
According to Imam Suja', they told the GAM leaders that the
\nlevel of violence in Aceh had worsened. \"We told them that
\nviolence will continue if there is no dialog,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
GAM has been fighting for independence for the resource-rich
\nprovince since 1976. Over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, are
\nbelieved to have been killed in the violence.<\/p>\n
According to Imam Suja', two issues are holding GAM back from
\nsigning a peace agreement with the government: the collection of
\nweapons and the role of the police during the cease-fire.<\/p>\n
Chapter II, Letter B of the draft peace agreement stipulates
\nthat GAM has to collect its arms and put them in storage, co-
\nguarded by GAM members and troops from a third party, while the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) must redefine its role from an
\noffensive force to a defensive one.<\/p>\n
To that end, GAM has to designate 10 locations where it will
\nstore its weapons and submit a list of weapons to the third
\nparty, which will then deploy troops to guard the weapons.<\/p>\n
The storage areas will be locked and controlled by GAM members
\nand troops from a third party, who will be authorized to carry
\nout unannounced inspections of the arms storage sites.<\/p>\n
Another issue stopping GAM from signing the peace agreement is
\nthe role of the police during the so-called humanitarian pause to
\nthe violence, according to Imam Suja'. GAM, according to him, is
\nafraid the police will use the cease-fire to hunt the rebels.<\/p>\n
\"The role of the police, according to prevailing Indonesian
\nlaw, is to go after armed civilians, and that means going after
\nGAM only because GAM has weapons,\" Imam Suja' quoted GAM leaders
\nas saying.<\/p>\n
GAM leaders, he said, still wanted to discuss these issues
\namong themselves, which is why they delayed the signing of the
\npeace agreement until after the Idul Fitri festivities.<\/p>\n
\"They are asking for more time to discuss the collection of
\nweapons and the role of police,\" Imam Suja' said.<\/p>\n
He also said GAM did not want the government to give it any
\nultimatums. \"It seems to me GAM does not want the government to
\nset any deadlines; they will not negotiate under pressure.\"<\/p>\n
He said the government and GAM had reached an agreement on the
\ncomposition of a planned Monitoring Committee that would
\nsupervise the cessation of hostilities in the country's
\nwesternmost province.<\/p>\n
The Monitoring Committee, he said, would consist of 150
\nmembers -- 50 from GAM, 50 from TNI and 50 from foreign
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"The committee consists of 50 field commanders from GAM, 50
\nfield officers from TNI and 50 from foreign countries. They will
\nbe assigned throughout Aceh and fully armed,\" Imam Suja' said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gam-reluctant-to-surrender-arms-imam-suja-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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