Henry Dunant Center denies espionage accusation<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The Switzerland-based Henry Dunant Center denied on Friday all
\naccusations that the institution was siding with the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM), and that its office in Banda Aceh had become a
\nspy center for the secessionist group.<\/p>\n
An official from the center also told The Jakarta Post by
\ntelephone on Friday that they had not received any formal
\ncomplaint from the government over its activities in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"We just heard about it (the accusation) from the news, we
\nhave not been officially notified,\" the official said.<\/p>\n
Asked if the center did espionage work for GAM, the official
\nsaid: \"Definitely no.\"<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono questioned the center's activities in
\nAceh on Wednesday and suggested that its role in peace talks
\nbetween the Indonesian government and GAM should be \"reviewed\".<\/p>\n
According to the Henry Dunant Center official, some GAM
\nmembers had been staying in the hotel where its local office was
\nsituated in Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"However, they (GAM members) are there just like anybody else,
\nit's a hotel,\" the official said.<\/p>\n
Susilo is currently visiting Aceh to evaluate whether or not
\nthe situation there warrants the imposition of either civil
\nemergency or martial law in the province, where GAM has been
\nfighting for independence since the 1970s and the Acehnese have
\nbeen striving for freedom for centuries.<\/p>\n
The administration of President Megawati Soekarnoputri has
\nbeen considering imposing a state of emergency in the province as
\nviolence and lawlessness worsen due to increasing armed contact
\nbetween government troops and GAM fighters.<\/p>\n
The plan, however, has continued to receive strong opposition
\nfrom politicians and public figures both in Jakarta and Aceh.<\/p>\n
Aceh councillors warned the central government on Wednesday
\nagainst imposing a state of emergency in the province, arguing
\nthat the move would only worsen the security conditions there.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid urged
\nboth the government and GAM fighters to return to the negotiating
\ntable to prevent more bloodshed.<\/p>\n
Earlier Susilo labeled the secessionist movement a terrorist
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, meanwhile, said
\non Friday that the fact that GAM members and Henry Dunant Center
\nofficials stayed in the same hotel could have triggered the
\naccusation that the institution was favoring the rebels.<\/p>\n
He, however, said that the GAM members should have left the
\nhotel immediately after the government froze a joint-commission
\nfor security.<\/p>\n
\"They should have left the commission's office a long time
\nago,\" the minister said after meeting President Megawati at the
\nState Palace.<\/p>\n
He also said that the Indonesian government expected the Henry
\nDunant Center to work in the restive province within the
\nparameters of its mandate.<\/p>\n
\"So far the work of the center as a facilitator is okay, but
\nas the host country, we urge the members to limit their
\nactivities to their mandate,\" the minister said.<\/p>\n
He added that so far both the government and GAM had yet to
\ndecide upon the details for the planned all-inclusive dialog
\noriginally scheduled to take place this month.<\/p>\n
\"We have yet to meet to discuss the mechanism for the dialog,\"
\nhe said without elaborating.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/henry-dunant-center-denies-espionage-accusation-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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