Government to call GAM to meeting table again<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Efforts to settle problems in the strife-torn
\nprovince of Aceh took a new turn when the government revealed on
\nWednesday a plan to invite the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to the
\nmeeting table for talks.<\/p>\n
\"The government is preparing to make a maklumat (announcement)
\nto invite armed rebels to join their Acehnese brothers for
\ndiscussions with us, as part of efforts to find a peaceful
\nsolution to Aceh's problems.<\/p>\n
\"We also urge them to consider the government's policy to
\ndevelop regional autonomy, as well as other beneficial policies
\nin the future,\" Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
\nSecurity Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters on the
\nsidelines of a discussion on the political and security situation
\nin Indonesia, held by the International Council on World Affairs
\n(ICWA).<\/p>\n
Regional autonomy is one of six issues on the agenda prepared
\nby the government to settle Aceh's problems. Others are based
\nupon the economy, social programs, law and order, the restoration
\nof security, and the dissemination of information.<\/p>\n
\"Their struggle for independence from the Unitary State of the
\nRepublic of Indonesia is a waste of effort as there is no country
\nin the world that supports their armed separatist movement in
\nAceh,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
He said the government will never impose a military operation
\nin Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"Presidential decree (Inpres) No. 14\/2001 on efforts to
\nrestore law and order in Aceh is quite clear in stating that
\nthere is no such intention to undertake military operations in
\nAceh. The presence of the Indonesian Military (TNI) there is only
\nto assist the police,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
The government's invitation to GAM for a dialog came amid the
\neagerness of some high-ranking military officers to quell armed
\nrebels in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The Army's Special Force (Kopassus) chief Maj. Gen. Amirul
\nIsnaeni said on Monday that the force was ready to dispatch its
\ntroops to the troubled Aceh province in an effort to suppress
\nrebels.<\/p>\n
Susilo also said that the government would grant amnesty to
\nany GAM members who surrendered voluntarily.<\/p>\n
Separately, in Ciampea, Bogor, Army Chief of Staff Gen.
\nEndriartono Sutarto said the Army would dispatch six companies of
\nsoldiers to Aceh next week, as part of efforts to restore
\nsecurity there.<\/p>\n
\"The troops will be dispatched from the Kopassus Education
\nCenter in Batujajar (Bandung, West Java) on Friday by the TNI
\nchief,\" Endriartono said as quoted by Koridor.com.<\/p>\n
In Batujajar, Kopassus has been providing training on
\nguerrilla warfare for about 15 companies of the Army's infantry
\ntroops, namely the Rajawali (Hawk) II Team.<\/p>\n
Returning to Aceh, more and more people in the province suffer
\nfrom serious mental illness due to the endless conflict.<\/p>\n
\"We have been receiving an average of between 50 and 65
\npatients a day over the past few months,\" Director of Banda Aceh
\nMental Hospital Dr. M. Idris Ibrahim said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
He told visiting Aceh councillors from Commission E on social
\nwelfare affairs that there are 219 patients in the hospital which
\nonly has a capacity of 180 beds.<\/p>\n
\"Most patients come from areas which are prone to conflict and
\nmore than 20 percent of them are women,\" Idris said.<\/p>\n
In the latest development, at least seven people were killed
\nduring a series of violent incidents in Aceh, both officials and
\na report stated on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
In East Aceh, a man and his five-year-old daughter were killed
\nduring the security forces' pursuit of GAM rebels in Aluee Ateung
\nvillage, Nurussalam district on Tuesday morning, spokesman of the
\npolice's Cinta Meunasah II Comr. Sudarsono told The Jakarta Post
\nby phone from Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
Three other civilians were injured in the incident.<\/p>\n
Reports, however, said that the residents were standing near
\nan elementary school in the village when a group from the Police
\nMobile Brigade (Brimob) fired shots in the air, which ended up
\nhitting civilians.<\/p>\n
Also in East Aceh, a man was killed on Tuesday morning
\nfollowing a police patrol conducted in Sriget Langsa village.<\/p>\n
Two other male bodies with gunshot wounds were also found
\nseparately in East Aceh.<\/p>\n
In Cangguek village of Tanah Pasir district, North Aceh,
\nFirst. Sgt. Ali Imran, who sustained stab wounds to the head by
\ntwo suspected GAM rebels, shot dead one of his assailants on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
In Pidie regency, a civilian was shot dead amid crossfire
\nbetween a joint police-military convoy and suspected GAM rebels
\nwho ambushed the convoy in Blang Awe village on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Nearly 400 people have been killed in Aceh this year despite
\na series of shaky truces between the government and GAM rebels.
\n(02\/50\/edt\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-to-call-gam-to-meeting-table-again-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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