Govt, GAM unlikely to meet<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has rejected a new date and venue for peace talks
\nwith the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) despite its pledge to resolve
\nthe Aceh question through dialog.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, an assistant to Coordinating Minister
\nfor Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said
\non Monday that the rebels had proposed a meeting after May 12 in
\nGeneva, Switzerland but the government would likely reject it.<\/p>\n
\"The government received a letter from the Henry Dunant Centre
\nlast Thursday informing them that GAM had agreed to hold a
\nmeeting after May 12 in Geneva. But I think the government will
\nfind it difficult to fulfill because we are firm about holding
\nthe meeting here in Indonesia within the two-week deadline,\" Sudi
\ntold The Jakarta Post after a meeting on political and security
\naffairs on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"Our rejection does not mean that we are trying to abandon
\npeaceful solutions to the Aceh issue. All doors for dialog are
\nstill open, but we don't think that a dialog with GAM leaders in
\nSweden is necessary because they are far removed from Acehnese
\nproblems,\" Sudi added.<\/p>\n
He also said that President Megawati Soekarnoputri would issue
\na presidential decree in connection with the government's plan to
\nlaunch a military operation in the conflict-torn province.<\/p>\n
\"These decrees provide a legal framework and the budget needed
\nto make the operation successful will be discussed afterwards,\"
\nSudi said.<\/p>\n
The government had given GAM two weeks to accept the special
\nautonomy arrangement for Aceh and disarm themselves. The deadline
\nwill fall on May 12.<\/p>\n
GAM, which has been fighting for independence for the
\nresource-rich Aceh since 1976, rejected the ultimatum, saying
\nthat it would return to the negotiating table on its own terms.<\/p>\n
The government pulled out of a meeting last April after GAM
\nmoved back the date of a long-awaited Joint Council meeting aimed
\nat discussing violations of the Cessation of Hostility Agreement
\n(COHA) signed on Dec. 9, 2002.<\/p>\n
Sudi said dialog with Acehnese rebels was still open, but
\nunderlined that \"we will hold it with influential GAM leaders in
\nAceh and GAM has to accept autonomy as a final solution\".<\/p>\n
Monday's meeting, chaired by Susilo, drafted recommendations
\nto be presented to President Megawati Soekarnoputri in a Cabinet
\nmeeting on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
On Monday morning, the Indonesian Military (TNI) amassed more
\ntroops to be deployed in Aceh, including over 2,000 Air Force
\ntroops.<\/p>\n
According to TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who led the
\ninspection of the troops at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in
\nEast Jakarta, the troops would be deployed should the government
\ndecide to use military force in dealing with GAM.<\/p>\n
Present at Monday's inspection were Air Force Chief Marshall
\nChappy Hakim and several high ranking Air Force officers.<\/p>\n
The troops would be deployed to guard main air bases in the
\nprovince, including those in Banda Aceh, Lhokseumawe, Sabang,
\nMedan and Lhoksukon, near by the U.S.-owned oil and gas company
\nPT ExxonMobil.<\/p>\n
Aside from its Special Forces and intelligence unit Bravo, the
\nAir Force also prepared two F-16 jet fighters, 4 Hawk-200, six
\nHercules carriers, one Superpuma and five Twinpack helicopters
\nand six OV-10 Bronco military aircraft.<\/p>\n
The F-16 fighters, which were earlier stationed in Madiun,
\nEast Java, along with the OV-10 Bronco, would immediately be
\nmoved to the Air Force base in Medan, while the Hawk-200 jet
\nfighters would be stationed in Pekanbaru, Riau.<\/p>\n
Endriartono asserted that the TNI would launch a counter-
\nguerrilla war to crush GAM and asserted that \"we will use jet
\nfighters only if necessary.\"<\/p>\n
The Air Force has already stationed some 25 radar units in the
\nprovince and anticipates that it would provide data to each
\nmilitary task force deployed in the province.<\/p>\n
\"In this way, I hope we can avoid unnecessary civilian
\ncasualties,\" Chappy Hakim said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, 1,300 Navy troops and 6,000 police personnel had also
\nbeen readied.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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