Govt's double standards impedes peace process in Aceh<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and
\nFabiola Desy Unidjaja
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Aceh politician Gazhali Abbas condemned on Friday the
\ngovernment's double standards in handling the prolonged Aceh
\nconflict, saying that the military should end its attack on
\nrebels in Cot Trieng, North Aceh, if the government was committed
\nto signing the proposed peace accord.<\/p>\n
He said the government should comply with MPR Decree No.
\nVI\/2002, which requires it to seek a peaceful settlement, instead
\nof taking the military approach to solve the Aceh problem.<\/p>\n
He said that most Acehnese had supported the measures the
\ngovernment had taken to promote dialogs between both sides,
\nincluding the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) whose existence has been
\nfactually accepted through negotiations held overseas.<\/p>\n
"The government should continue the persuasive approach,
\ninstead of using repression to win domestic (Acehnese) and
\ninternational support and simultaneously persuade rebels to lay
\ndown their arms to go to the negotiating table," he said.<\/p>\n
He also said the government should take strict action against
\nlegal violations committed by both rebels and soldiers.<\/p>\n
Johnson Pandjaitan, a human rights activist of the Indonesian
\nLegal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), agreed and said
\nthat the government, including security forces, should respect
\nthe peaceful negotiation facilitated by the Geneva-based Henry
\nDunant Centre (HDC).<\/p>\n
The military should show its strong commitment to sign the
\npeace accord on Dec. 9 and support the government's persuasive
\napproach to seek a peaceful solution to the Aceh problem through
\na dialog, he said.<\/p>\n
Both Gazhali and Johnson further expressed pessimism that the
\ntwo warring sides would agree to sign the peace accord on Dec. 9
\nsince their military wings had yet to show readiness in laying
\ndown their weapons.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said
\nthat disarmament would become a contentious issue in the cease-
\nfire mechanism.<\/p>\n
Disarmament and cantonment will be a logical consequence of
\nthe peace deal, but both sides are still at odds over the matter,
\nHassan said.<\/p>\n
Hassan said that the presence of a monitoring team, which will
\nconsist of participants from various countries, would be
\nassurance that both the military and GAM were in compliance with
\nthe peace accord, including the disarmament issue.<\/p>\n
"The presence of the monitoring team will assure the whole
\ndeal," he said.<\/p>\n
Amid heightened tension between the military and GAM, two
\ncountries -- Japan and the U.S. -- planned to cosponsor the
\nPreparatory Conference on Peace and Reconstruction in Aceh on
\nDec. 3 in Tokyo, which is aimed at establishing a trust fund for
\nthe reconstruction and development of Aceh.<\/p>\n
"This is an effort to encourage GAM to return to the
\nnegotiation table, but the composition of the participants is
\nstill under discussion," Hassan said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govts-double-standards-impedes-peace-process-in-aceh-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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