HDC close to setting new date for Aceh talks<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Aceh peace facilitator, the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC), is now
\ntrying to set a new date and venue for peace talks between the
\ngovernment and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), after the former
\npulled out of a planned Joint Council meeting in Geneva last
\nweek.<\/p>\n
HDC representative David Gorman said at a press conference in
\nBanda Aceh on Tuesday that he hoped to set a date within the next
\nfew days.<\/p>\n
\"Everybody wants the meeting (to happen) as soon as possible,\"
\nGorman was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, legislators urged the government to initiate a
\npeace dialog with the rebels in a bid to salvage the fragile
\npeace in the troubled province.<\/p>\n
Thai General Tanongsuk Tuvinun, who heads the Joint Security
\nCommittee (JSC), told Acehnese on Tuesday to ignore rumors of an
\nimpending military operation in the province, where 26 years of
\narmed conflict had killed over 10,000 people, mostly civilians.<\/p>\n
\"Spreading rumors can kill the peace process and the hope of
\nthe Acehnese to live in peace,\" Tanongsuk said, urging both
\nparties to avoid provocative actions.<\/p>\n
The JSC is in charge of monitoring the implementation of the
\nCessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) signed in Geneva,
\nSwitzerland, on Dec. 9.<\/p>\n
The government angrily withdrew from the long-awaited peace
\ntalks last Thursday after the rebels insisted on holding the
\nmeeting on April 27 instead of April 25, as it had proposed
\nearlier.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the government gave GAM a two-week ultimatum to
\naccept the special autonomy arrangement for the province and
\ndisarm, or face the full brunt of military prowess.<\/p>\n
Jakarta also said it would not make the first move to initiate
\ndialog and left it entirely up to GAM to call a meeting to save
\nthe accord.<\/p>\n
While endorsing the government's two-week ultimatum,
\nlegislators urged the government on Tuesday to take the lead in
\norganizing a dialog with GAM rebels.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim Ambong, chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR)
\nCommission I for defense, called on the government to extend the
\ndeadline if the security condition in the province improved.<\/p>\n
Ambong, a member of the Golkar faction, said that the deadline
\nset by the government was important, because it provided a clear
\ntimeframe for resolving Aceh's problems.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the government should continue the peace
\nprocess as mandated in a decree issued by the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
Commission member Imam Addaruqutni of the Reform faction said
\nthe two-week deadline should be contextualized within the peace
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, military operations should not automatically be
\nlaunched after the deadline, if GAM does not respond,\" he told
\nThe Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Noted Acehnese figure Imam Suja' said that he was expecting
\nthe HDC to continue lobbying the government and GAM to reschedule
\nthe Joint Council meeting.<\/p>\n
\"Everything must be brought to the Joint Council meeting.
\nThere will be no problems if the government and GAM follow the
\nCOHA,\" Suja' told the Post by phone.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights
\n(Komnas HAM) Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara commented that the
\ngovernment should focus on a peace dialog to settle Aceh's
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
He added that law enforcement operations in Aceh would be
\nconsidered normal, because Aceh was part of the Indonesian
\nterritory, and that it should combat crimes committed by all
\nIndonesian people, including GAM members.<\/p>\n
Separately, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said the government
\ncould ignore the MPR decree if the existence of the unitary
\nrepublic of Indonesia was threatened.<\/p>\n
Amien, who chairs the National Mandate Party (PAN), emphasized
\nthat the existence of the republic was of greater importance than
\nthe MPR decree or the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"This is an objective choice and is universally accepted,\"
\nAmien said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hdc-close-to-setting-new-date-for-aceh-talks-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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