House, ministers to prepare contingency plan for Aceh<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has scheduled a meeting with the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) for Wednesday to evaluate the situation in
\nAceh, including the preparation of a contingency plan for the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
The meeting is expected to come up with some alternatives if a
\nmilitary operation to quell the separatist Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM) becomes unavoidable.<\/p>\n
As many as seven military officials and ministers who are in
\ncharge of security affairs will discuss the matter with the House
\nCommission I.<\/p>\n
\"We will assess the situation in Aceh from several aspects to
\nhopefully prevent adverse impacts (should a military operation be
\nlaunched,\" Commission I chairman, Ibrahim Ambong, said here on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Among the officials who will attend the meeting are
\nCoordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono, Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil,
\nMinister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of Justice and Human Rights
\nMinister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesian Military Chief Gen.
\nEndriartono Sutarto and National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.<\/p>\n
Ambong, also a legislator from the Golkar Party, explained
\nthat his commission had actually called on the military to
\nprepare a contingency plan in facing a possible force majeure
\nshould the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) that
\nIndonesia and GAM signed on Dec. 9, 2002, failed to end the 27-
\nyear conflict.<\/p>\n
He conceded that the green light was given for an alternative
\nplan during a closed-door meeting between the commission and the
\nmilitary chief on March 5.<\/p>\n
Ambong declined to elaborate on the contingency plan in
\ndetail.<\/p>\n
\"Well, it (the contingency plan) was not explained. I think it
\ncould be imposing a civilian or military emergency status on the
\nprovince,\" Ambong said.<\/p>\n
Separately, fellow commission member Djoko Susilo of the
\nReform faction warned that the proposed contingency plan was
\nactually a blank check and it could be manipulated to make the
\nsituation worse.<\/p>\n
\"It is like giving the military a blank check. Accepting a
\ncontingency plan means also supporting a military operation,\"
\nDjoko added.<\/p>\n
He conceded that he was among a few legislators opposing the
\nproposed military operation because it would not solve the
\nproblem.<\/p>\n
Djoko said that the peace process in Aceh was not proceeding
\noptimally, but the two warring groups should sit together to
\nevaluate the implementation of the peace agreement.<\/p>\n
Ambong conceded that both the House and the government had
\nacknowledged an absence of progress in the peace pact's
\nimplementation during the last meeting.<\/p>\n
\"We have seen that the peace agreement has given more space
\nfor GAM to campaign for independence,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ambong said that legislators from all factions principally
\nagreed that they wanted to prevent civilian casualties. Many
\nmembers of the commission suggested that the government should
\nnot give the province a military operation status because it
\nwould cause civilian victims.<\/p>\n
\"It is better for the military and the government to discuss
\nthe situation with the House before making a decision to launch a
\nmilitary action,\" Ambong said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, GAM and the Henry Dunand Centre were scheduled to
\nhold a joint council meeting on April 24 to evaluate the
\nimplementation of the faltering four-month-old peace agreement.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-ministers-to-prepare-contingency-plan-for-aceh-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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