Land offered to GAM rebels<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh<\/p>\n
The Aceh administration has moved to end armed conflict and stop
\nthe killing in the province, and is offering land to separatists
\nrebels in exchange for unconditional surrender.<\/p>\n
Head of the provincial agriculture and horticulture office
\nSamadi told a press conference at the Iskandar Muda Military
\nheadquarters on Friday that the local government would provide
\neach Free Aceh Movement (GAM) member who surrendered with 3
\nhectares of land.<\/p>\n
Samadi said the offer was part of a humanitarian mission, one
\nof the four major components of the so-called integrated
\noperation now underway in the province to quell rebellion there.<\/p>\n
\"Those who want to rejoin the republic will be awarded land
\nthat they can cultivate and use to feed their families. We will
\nalso give them seeds, fertilizer, farming equipment plus capital.
\nThe state budget will cover the program,\" Samadi said.<\/p>\n
Apart from the rewards, the local government pledged to
\nprovide the rebels with training and guidance on how to farm.<\/p>\n
The martial law administration in Aceh said nearly 200 members
\nof the separatist group had surrendered so far. The government
\ntroops also claimed to have shot dead 240 rebels since the
\noperation commenced on May 19.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen, Endriartono Sutarto
\nhas said the main target of the operation would no longer be
\nkilling as many as rebels as possible, but to make them surrender
\nand recognize the Unitary State of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The military operation conducted between 1989 and 1998 had
\nfailed to douse the armed struggle for independence in Aceh, but
\nclaimed human losses that observers believe exceeded 10,000.<\/p>\n
Samadi said his office would apply the program in different
\nways, depending on the condition of the land where the repentant
\nGAM members were placed.<\/p>\n
\"For example we will suggest those who live in Pidie to
\ncultivate chili peppers, while those in Central Aceh should grow
\npotatoes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The local government has allocated 50,000 hectares of land for
\nthe program.<\/p>\n
\"This program is specially for the rebels who give up their
\nindependence cause and who happen to have an interest in
\nagriculture,\" Samadi said. He refused to disclose the budget for
\nthe program.<\/p>\n
He said the program would be advantageous for Aceh as a whole
\nas the province still had a sizable amount of land which remained
\nunexploited to improve its food sustainability.<\/p>\n
\"Agriculture in the province has been hampered as many farmers
\nhave left their land unattended, particularly those who sought
\nrefuge,\" Samadi said.<\/p>\n
It remains unclear when the program could start, but Samadi
\nsaid it would take his office one or two months to train the
\nformer rebels to begin cultivating their land.<\/p>\n
Violence continued as the Aceh war entered its second month as
\none person was killed and eight others injured when suspected
\nrebels fired at two cars on the Banda Aceh - Medan road in Pidie
\ndistrict on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"The victims were treated at Zainal Abidin hospital in Sigli,
\nPidie district,\" said Lt. Col. Firdaus Kumarno, deputy spokesman
\nfor the martial law administrator.<\/p>\n
Firdaus said the rebels also had set fire to three trucks
\ncarrying rice for the poor in the district.<\/p>\n
It was also reported that two buses traveling from Banda Aceh
\nto Lhokseumawe were shot at in Pante Raja area, about 200
\nkilometers west of Lhokseumawe.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, some 150 houses belonging to PT Patria Kamoa in
\nGajah Muntah village, East Aceh district, were burnt by alleged
\nrebels on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki, spokesman for Operation Command,
\nclaimed that on Friday some 250 GAM members set fire to the
\nhouses of the company's employees.<\/p>\n
According to him, besides burning the houses and other
\nfacilities and the three trucks, the rebels looted the company's
\nproperty, including computers and diesel generators.<\/p>\n
Basuki also said government troops were engaged in a shootout
\nwith the rebels in the war-torn province, killing five rebels in
\nthe past two days.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/land-offered-to-gam-rebels-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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