GAM support base waning: Minister<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
\nSecurity Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday that the Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM) rebels were becoming increasingly isolated.<\/p>\n
According to Yudhoyono, who led a team of Cabinet ministers to
\nAceh on Wednesday, the armed separatist movement was continuing
\nto weaken due to lack of popular support.<\/p>\n
"We conclude that GAM's armed activity has declined despite
\nsporadic attacks and government activity has improved," he told
\njournalists after attending a national meeting of governors at
\nthe Ministry of Home Affairs here.<\/p>\n
Yudhoyono's trip to Aceh was aimed at preparing for the visit
\nof President Megawati Soekarnoputri early next month in a bid to
\nshow the government's goodwill and sincerity in solving the Aceh
\nproblem.<\/p>\n
Yudhoyono claimed that troops had taken control of rebels'
\nenclaves in North Aceh, East Aceh and Pidie. "Now, many of the
\nrebels have moved their activity to the central region. This
\nexplains why the latest incidents have occurred in places where
\nthere have never been any attacks before," he said.<\/p>\n
Security forces in Aceh were reinforced following the issuance
\nof Presidential Decree No. 4\/2001 issued by then president
\nAbdurrahman Wahid. The decree outlines comprehensive plans to
\nrestore order in Aceh.<\/p>\n
When asked if the government planned another round of talks
\nwith GAM, Yudhoyono replied, "A number of talks have been held
\nboth at home and overseas. I had the impression that GAM hard-
\nliners want nothing but independence. However, there are also
\nmoderate elements within GAM."<\/p>\n
Aceh was generally calm yesterday. A grenade explosion injured
\na man at a government-sponsored development expo at Blang Padang
\nsquare in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
Eyewitnesses said the victim was a stand attendant. The
\nincident happened at about 1 p.m. when only a few people were
\npresent.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, a soldier was injured and another went missing
\nwhen a group of GAM rebels ambushed a patrol in Indrapuri, about
\n25 kilometers east of Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
The incident did not deter townspeople from attending the expo
\nheld as part of the 56th Indonesian Independence Day
\ncelebrations. The revelry was organized after a two-year break
\ndue to security reasons.<\/p>\n
Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh, who was in Jakarta to attend the
\nmeeting of governors at the Ministry of Home Affairs, denied
\nreports that he had requested more troops to combat GAM.<\/p>\n
He said the deployment of troops in Aceh was implemented based
\non the Presidential Decree, which did not require his
\ninvolvement.<\/p>\n
He added that the government would prioritize peace talks in
\nsolving the conflict.<\/p>\n
Violence escalates<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
\nViolence (Kontras) demanded that the government revoke
\nPresidential Decree No. 4\/2001 on the grounds that it had only
\nworsened violence and human rights abuses in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Kontras pointed out in a statement that the human right abuses
\nincluded killing, denying protection for people caught in armed
\nconflicts and suppression of freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta-based non-governmental organization noted that
\nbetween April, when the decree was issued, and the third week of
\nAugust, 203 people were murdered, 197 people tortured, 29 had
\ndisappeared and 110 were arbitrarily detained.<\/p>\n
It was a sharp rise compared to cases that occurred between
\nJanuary 2001 and April 2001, in which 100 people were murdered in
\n16 cases of extra-judicial killings, 65 were tortured, there were
\nsix disappearances and 85 were arbitrarily detained, according to
\nKontras.<\/p>\n
The NGO asserted that the government viewed the Aceh issue as
\na mere security problem and overlooked the underlying problems of
\ninjustice and human rights abuses which have occurred since Aceh
\nwas declared a military operation territory in 1989. Its status
\nas a military operation territory officially ended in 1998.<\/p>\n
"The efforts to end the violence through negotiations have
\nmade little progress because the government maintains the
\nmilitary operation as its main approach.<\/p>\n
"The violence against civilians in Aceh continues because the
\npolitical, economic and cultural approaches to the problem have
\nnot worked while the military has exploited the presidential
\ndecree to justify their actions," the statement said.
\n(tso\/pan\/50)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gam-support-base-waning-minister-1447893297",
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