GAM talks focus on separate elections<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) delegates to
\ninformal talks in Helsinki began on Wednesday with a discussion
\non regional elections as part of the peace process in the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
\"They (the members of the GAM delegation) wonder whether the
\ndirect elections to select regional administration heads -- to
\nelect a governor, regents, mayors or village chiefs in Aceh --
\ncan pave the way for democratization in Aceh,\" Hamid Awaluddin.
\nwho is also Minister for Justice and Human Rights, told a press
\nconference aired by Elshinta private radio station.<\/p>\n
Hamid was referring to Law No. 32\/2004 on regional
\ngovernments.<\/p>\n
The direct election of local administration heads, which will
\ntake place for the first time in June, is aimed at promoting
\ndemocracy. The regional election follows the landmark direct
\npresidential election last year.<\/p>\n
Separately, GAM spokesman Bachtiar Abdullah said the two
\nparties would no longer talk about special autonomy for Aceh nor
\nindependence, but about whether \"it is possible to promote a
\ntruly democratic administration for Aceh.\"<\/p>\n
Bachtiar said such a democratic administration required the
\nparticipation of all Acehnese people.<\/p>\n
\"On the first day of the meeting, we agreed not to give any
\ntitle to that democratic administration, as it won't refer to the
\nspecial autonomy concept proposed by Indonesia nor to a self-
\ngoverning concept proposed by us (GAM),\" Bachtiar told The
\nJakarta Post from Helsinki.<\/p>\n
While full independence is not on the table, GAM insists that
\nsovereignty remains their ultimate goal.<\/p>\n
\"Independence is still not on the table, since there would be
\nno negotiations if it was, but this does not mean that we will
\nstop our main struggle, which is for independence,\" Bakhtiar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The fresh peace negotiations, which were driven forth by the
\nneed for international aid to reach the tsunami-struck Aceh
\nprovince, are scheduled to last six days and, like the first two
\nrounds in January and February, are being mediated by former
\nFinnish president Martti Ahtisaari's Crisis Management Initiative
\n(CMI).<\/p>\n
When the two delegations met for the first round of talks in
\nJanuary it was the first time they stood face-to-face since May
\n2003, when the government imposed martial law in the province and
\nlaunched a major military offensive against the rebels. Foreign
\npress and aid workers were banned from the province since then.<\/p>\n
Bakhtiar further said the two sides would only discuss certain
\npoints which would be operational in the field, including the
\nrelease of GAM negotiation teams, who are currently serving
\nprison terms for treason, and the withdrawal of 50,000 Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) troops from Aceh.<\/p>\n
Violence continues in the field despite the peace talks. TNI
\nsoldiers shot dead a local rebel chief in Blang Pidie area. The
\nlocal commander, Miswar alias Siwai, was shot dead along with one
\nof his men in an armed clash on Tuesday, AFP reported.<\/p>\n
GAM has been fighting for an independent state in the western
\nIndonesian province rich in natural resources since 1976. Rights
\nactivists have estimated that no less than 12,000 people, mostly
\ncivilians, have been killed since then.<\/p>\n
Rights groups accuse both the government and GAM of abuses.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gam-talks-focus-on-separate-elections-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }