Govt likely to revive talks with GAM<\/p>\n
Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government hopes to resume peace talks with Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) leaders later this month, Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
A previous truce between the two sides collapsed amid mutual
\nrecriminations in 2003.<\/p>\n
The minister, however, declined to speculate on what kind of
\nan outcome such a meeting might produce.<\/p>\n
The venue and the date for the talks would be determined
\nlater, Hassan added.<\/p>\n
Following the Dec. 26 earthquake and the subsequent tidal wave
\nthat killed over 115,000 people in Aceh, the government and GAM
\nannounced a cease-fire and shifted their attention to helping
\nsurvivors of the disaster,<\/p>\n
\"We hope and think that it's quite realistic that by the end
\nof this month both sides can sit down together for a meeting,\"
\nHassan said.<\/p>\n
\"I have noticed that the government and GAM have sensed an
\nopportunity -- in the wake of the disaster -- to end the
\nconflict. Reconstruction and rehabilitation in Aceh, which may
\ntake up to five years, will only be capable of taking place in a
\nsecure and politically stable environment.\"<\/p>\n
The minister said that there had been preliminary, informal
\ntalks between the government and GAM leaders in Aceh that had
\nproduced positive signals regarding the possibility of a formal
\ndialog.<\/p>\n
He added that the government might ask a third party to serve
\nas a mediator. \"We may employ a mediator but, at this point, we
\ncannot give any names.\"<\/p>\n
The Geneva-based Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian
\nDialogue, backed by the United States, the European Union and
\nJapan, mediated during a previous round of talks prior to the
\nbreakdown of the process in 2003.<\/p>\n
Hassan said that amnesties for GAM members might be possible.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian government will consider this if GAM is
\nwilling to sit down for reconciliation talks to end the Aceh
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
\"We won't talk now about the contents of any agreement that
\nmight be reached during the meeting -- whether on the suspension
\nof the legal process in Sweden, or rehabilitation or amnesty for
\nGAM rebels -- because I think it's too early to speculate on
\nthese matters.\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Swedish government arrested three GAM leaders last June --
\nfounder Hasan Tiro, self-styled Aceh foreign minister Zaini
\nAbdullah and \"prime minister\" Malik Mahmud -- at the request of
\nIndonesia, which alleged that the three were guilty of offenses
\nunder international law.<\/p>\n
A Swedish court released Zaini and Mahmud a few days later,
\nciting lack of evidence. Tiro was not taken into custody for
\nhealth reasons.<\/p>\n
All the rebel leaders hold Swedish passports and cannot be
\nextradited for trial in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Zaini said on Wednesday that he could not comment on the
\nproposal for formal negotiations. \"We still do not know the
\nspecifics of the plan,\" Zaini told AP in Sweden. \"We prefer to
\nhold the talks (outside Indonesia), but let us see the proposal
\nfirst.\"<\/p>\n
GAM separatists have been waging a rebellion against Jakarta
\nsince 1976 to fight for an independent Aceh.<\/p>\n
The government and the rebels achieved a peace truce in Geneva
\nin 2002 as a starting point to an all-inclusive dialog in Aceh.
\nThe accord broke down in Tokyo in May 2003, with each side
\naccusing the other of bad faith.<\/p>\n
During the Tokyo talks, Jakarta offered a special autonomy
\npackage for Aceh, which would give local people more control over
\ntheir own affairs, but adamantly rejected GAM's demand for an
\nindependent state.<\/p>\n
The government later imposed martial law in Aceh for one year
\nuntil May 2004 in an attempt to crush the rebel movement. The
\nprovince since then has been under a state of civil emergency.<\/p>\n
More than 2,300 rebels have been killed in military operations
\nsince May 2003, according to the military. But human rights
\ngroups say many of the victims were actually civilians, a charge
\ndenied by the government.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-likely-to-revive-talks-with-gam-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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