Int'l request for govt talks with GAM unfair: Minister<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda criticized the
\nrepeated calls by the international community for Jakarta to
\npursue dialog with separatist group Free Aceh Movement (GAM) as
\nbeing unfair, saying that the pressure should be directed at the
\nrebels instead.<\/p>\n
Retorting to various comments from around the world regarding
\nthe imposition of martial law in Aceh, Hassan stressed on
\nThursday that the government had done enough to settle the issue
\npeacefully.<\/p>\n
Speaking before 115 foreign envoys in Jakarta, Hassan said
\nthat the Tokyo meeting last weekend, which was a last-ditch
\nattempt to save the peace deal, had failed because GAM refused to
\naccept special autonomy for Aceh under the sovereignty of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Let there be no misunderstanding that GAM, and GAM alone,
\nsingle-handedly destroyed the dialog process.<\/p>\n
\"Thus, to governments that have expressed disappointment at
\nthe failure of the dialog process and urged its revival, our
\nadvice is that such a call should be best addressed to GAM,\" he
\nsaid at the briefing.<\/p>\n
World leaders from the United States, Australia, Japan and
\nMalaysia, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan,
\nexpressed their grave concern over the imposition of martial law
\nin Aceh and urged Jakarta to return to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n
Hassan emphasized that, as a sovereign nation, Indonesia had
\nthe right to do whatever it took, including a military operation,
\nto defend its territorial integrity.<\/p>\n
Moreover, Hassan said, GAM could only speak \"the language of
\nforce and terror\".<\/p>\n
\"We are confident that governments in this hall would do the
\nsame if faced with a similar challenge,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hassan also pointed out that the decision to launch a military
\noperation had been taken only after a long deliberation in a
\ndemocratic manner.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to challenge any questions regarding our
\ndecision to launch the military operation to protect our
\nsovereignty,\" the minister told the envoys.<\/p>\n
Also present at the briefing were Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, National
\nPolice Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and National Intelligence Agency
\n(BIN) Chief Hendropriyono.<\/p>\n
Among those attending the meeting were U.S. Ambassador Ralph
\nL. Boyce, British Ambassador Richard Gozney and Japanese
\nAmbassador Yutaka Iimura.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, Hassan also demanded that the international
\ncommunity prove their support for Indonesia in deeds, especially
\nSweden, which has provided asylum for GAM leaders Hasan Tiro and
\nZaini Abdullah since 1979.<\/p>\n
\"We have a bundle of proof that these men were involved in
\nmany terror activities. We are not asking much from foreign
\ngovernments, but please be consistent in your support for our
\nterritorial integrity,\" Hassan said.<\/p>\n
He claimed that, according to Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia
\nHarald Nils Erik Sanberg, who was at the briefing, the Swedish
\ngovernment would provide an official response to the request as
\nsoon as possible.<\/p>\n
Susilo said that during the briefing, many countries
\nreiterated their call for dialog to remain an open option, even
\nin the midst of the fresh war in the province.<\/p>\n
\"Some also asked for the reduction of human suffering during
\nthe operation in Aceh,\" the minister said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/intl-request-for-govt-talks-with-gam-unfair-minister-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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