Govt, GAM cautiously optimistic before talks<\/p>\n
Agencies, Helsinki, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Representatives from the government and Aceh separatists
\nexpressed cautious optimism ahead of a third round of peace talks
\nin Helsinki this week aimed at ending a drawn-out conflict that
\nso far has killed more than 12,000 people.<\/p>\n
\"Our expectation is that we will achieve something
\npositive ... We are cautiously optimistic about the outcome of
\nthe negotiations,\" the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)'s Stockholm-based
\nspokesman, Bakhtiar Abdullah, told AFP.<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla also said he was hopeful the talks
\nnext week would lead the peace process forward. \"If all substance
\ncan be moved and then principally agreed, we hope in July we can
\nfinalize the whole principle of the agreement,\" he said in an
\ninterview with the South China Morning Post published on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Like the two previous rounds of talks in January and February,
\nthe discussions, which are scheduled to get underway on Tuesday,
\nwill take place at the Koeningstedt estate outside Helsinki, and
\nwill be mediated by former Finnish president and career diplomat
\nMartti Ahtisaari.<\/p>\n
Although the second round of talks ended on a positive note
\nwith both sides reporting that progress had been made towards an
\nagreement on a special autonomy for the region, events on the
\nground appear to have clouded the horizon.<\/p>\n
\"This is going to be tough. We are facing a number of
\nstumbling blocks,\" Abdullah said, pointing out that fighting has
\ncontinued despite pledges from both sides to \"try to refrain from
\nhostilities\".<\/p>\n
The Indonesian army has admitted to killing more than 260
\nrebels since the tsunami ravaged Aceh on Dec. 26.<\/p>\n
\"It is of great importance that all violence should cease on
\nboth sides ... Without this it is very difficult to talk,\"
\nAbdullah said, insisting that \"we are on the receiving end (and)
\nhave been forced to retaliate\".<\/p>\n
Meeri-Mariia Jaarva of Ahtisaari's Crisis Management
\nInitiative (CMI), which is organizing the talks, acknowledged
\nthat the situation on the ground \"is probably putting more
\npressure on the parties\".<\/p>\n
\"We are pleased that both sides have agreed to continue the
\nprocess of negotiations, but as the conflict has been going on
\nfor such a long time, and there are many difficult issues to be
\nsettled, one should remain realistic about the outcome of the
\ntalks,\" she said.<\/p>\n
While the first two rounds of negotiations lasted only a few
\ndays each, the third round is scheduled to go on for six full
\ndays to allow the parties time to flesh out the details and a
\ntimetable for proposals concerning things like special autonomy,
\nsecurity arrangements, economic relations, amnesty and outside
\nmonitoring, according to Jaarva.<\/p>\n
One issue that will not be on the table is GAM's continued
\ndemand of full independence, something Jakarta has said is
\nunacceptable.<\/p>\n
\"Our position is clear that the only solution to the Aceh
\nconflict is special autonomy and that GAM should return to the
\nfold of the unitary state of Indonesia,\" said Demak Lubis, head
\nof the Aceh desk at Indonesia's security ministry.<\/p>\n
But although GAM did not mention its claim of full
\nindependence during the second round of talks, Abdullah insists
\nthat the demand still stands.<\/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,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The GAM accused Indonesia's military of stepping up their
\ncampaign in Aceh, a charge that underlines the obstacles to peace
\nahead of the third round of talks.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian military are increasing their numbers and
\nkilling more and more of our people,\" Abdullah Zaini, a GAM
\nnegotiator living in exile in Sweden, was quoted by AP as saying
\nlate Saturday. \"That is against the spirit of the negotiations,
\nthat is what we do not understand.\"<\/p>\n
An Indonesian army spokesman denied that troop numbers were
\nbeing increased, but said that military operations against the
\nrebels were ongoing in the oil and gas-rich province.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-gam-cautiously-optimistic-before-talks-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}