HDC defends Filipino observers<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The Henry Dunant Centre (HDC) defended on Thursday the presence
\nof observers from the Philippines in its monitoring team despite
\ncomplaints by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).<\/p>\n
HDC project manager in Aceh David Gorman said that all
\nobservers, be they representatives of GAM, the Indonesian
\ngovernment, or HDC, could work hand in hand.<\/p>\n
\"Observers from the Philippines can work with team members,
\nincluding GAM,\" David told The Jakarta Post here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Currently, there are six observers from the Philippines
\nworking in the monitoring team under HDC, which brokered the
\npeace agreement between GAM and Jakarta that was signed on Dec.
\n9, 2002.<\/p>\n
Earlier, GAM called for the withdrawal of Filipino delegation
\nover charges it was biased against the rebels since their
\ngovernment was waging war against Muslim rebels in southern
\nPhilippines. That prompted the Philippine government to delay
\nsending additional military observers to Aceh.<\/p>\n
The Philippines is expected to send a total of 25 military
\nobservers who will join the Joint Security Committee (JSC)
\nrepresenting HDC.<\/p>\n
David said he had no idea why GAM had rejected the Filipino
\nobservers as members of the monitoring team. He said the
\nrejection had not become an issue in the field. \"They can work
\ntogether,\" he said, referring to observers from GAM and
\nPhilippines.<\/p>\n
According to him, HDC chose monitoring members from the
\nPhilippines not because of their nationality, but their
\nprofessionalism.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, six observers from Thailand arrived at the Sultan
\nIskandar Muda airport at 6 p.m. on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The observers will be monitoring the implementation of the
\nDec. 9 peace accord between the Indonesian government and the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) in regencies throughout the troubled
\nNanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province.<\/p>\n
Another delegation of Filipino observers was expected to come
\nin the next few days, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Fahmi Yunus, a spokesman for Peace through Dialog -- a peace
\npromoting program of HDC, said those observers would be stationed
\nin different regencies.<\/p>\n
He added that before their deployment, all observers from
\nIndonesia, GAM representatives, and HDC would be briefed for one
\nweek in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
Seventy-two observers had been deployed in eight regencies
\nsince Dec. 28, 2002 to monitor security after the peace
\nagreement.<\/p>\n
Fahmi said the second deployment of observers would take place
\nat the end of January so that each delegation would have 48
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
The work of the monitoring team would then be reported to the
\nJoint Security Committee (JSC) stationed in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile AFP reported that Indonesian soldiers and police had
\ngunned down a separatist rebel and freed two civilians who had
\nbeen held hostage.<\/p>\n
Police spokesman Taufik Sutiyono said the GAM member was
\nkilled in a 15-minute shootout at Kuala Baru, Sungai village, in
\nsouthern district of Singkil late on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He added the joint team of 11 police and soldiers freed two
\ncivilians but other guerrillas escaped. The GAM leader in Banda
\nAceh said he had not received a report on the incident.<\/p>\n
At least 10 people have been killed since the agreement was
\nsigned.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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