Let's just start to build trust: GAM<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Two weeks after the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) signed a peace deal in Helsinki, many continue to
\nquestion its legitimacy, particularly House of Representatives
\nlawmakers, which may pose a stumbling block to its
\nimplementation.<\/p>\n
Politicians opposed to the memorandum of understanding (MOU)
\non the peaceful settlement of the Aceh conflict have claimed that
\nmany points in the agreement are vague, which leaves room for
\nmulti-interpretations, especially those on the governing of Aceh
\nand the powers of the local legislature.<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who was involved in the peace
\nprocess since the onset, had called for a halt to the debate over
\nthe peace accord.<\/p>\n
Member of the GAM negotiating team Mohammed Nur Djuli,
\nhowever, said delegations of both parties had sought every avenue
\nto bridge differences of view while formulating the MOU. He was
\nconvinced the MOU, which wrapped up six months of talks, was the
\nbest arrangement the negotiators could reach to end almost three
\ndecades of armed struggle in the province.<\/p>\n
The negotiation was facilitated by the Helsinki-based Crisis
\nManagement Initiative (CMI).<\/p>\n
"We both agreed upon a self-government system and picked the
\nterm 'Aceh Administration' for it in the MOU because GAM can't
\naccept special autonomy, while the Indonesian government could
\nneither accept a referendum nor independence for Aceh.<\/p>\n
"It is quite fair that we (Acehnese) talk about governing our
\nown territory, albeit still within the Republic of Indonesia. The
\ndebate stopped then and there," Nur Djuli told The Jakarta Post
\non Friday.<\/p>\n
According to the MOU, the new government arrangement in Aceh
\nwill require the House to seek the Aceh legislature's consent for
\nall international agreements, administrative measures and
\npolicies concerning Aceh. House members consider the condition
\nundermines their power.<\/p>\n
Concerns have also been raised over human rights issues as the
\nHouse legislators have said the government and GAM had given
\nconflicting interpretations of the retroactivity principle of the
\nplanned human rights tribunal, which will be established in
\naccordance with the MOU.<\/p>\n
Nur Djuli suggested that both sides leave the matter to
\ninternational principles of law, which give the sole authority to
\nthe UN to establish the rights tribunal to hear cases of crimes
\nagainst humanity during the conflict in Aceh.<\/p>\n
"The UN holds the full authority to establish the rights
\ntribunal in Aceh to try either Indonesian soldiers or GAM
\nfighters who are accused of perpetrating atrocities. The
\nestablishment of the human rights tribunal in Aceh was not based
\non what we (GAM) or Indonesia asked for," he said.<\/p>\n
Nur Djuli admitted that many parties were not altogether happy
\nwith the peace process.<\/p>\n
Disputes in many ways could disrupt the implementation of the
\nMOU, he added. "That's what the foreign monitoring team is for,"
\nhe said, referring to the around 200-strong Aceh Monitoring
\nMission (AMM).<\/p>\n
When the AMM cannot resolve a dispute through a dialog
\ninvolving representatives of both the Indonesian government and
\nGAM, the top political leadership of the two sides and the CMI
\nwill be invited to step in, with the knowledge of the EU
\nPolitical and Security Committee.<\/p>\n
The CMI will issue a ruling, which will be binding for both
\nsides.<\/p>\n
Nur Djuli said the dispute settlement arrangement would
\nprevent the peace accord from faltering.<\/p>\n
"The previous Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in
\n2002 failed because the monitoring team lacked the power to
\nenforce its policy. We should not repeat the same mistake, and
\ncomplying with AMM decisions has nothing to do with sovereignty.
\nIt is merely about the involvement of international arbitration,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He suggested that debate over the MOU would be
\ncounterproductive and could backfire on the peace process.<\/p>\n
"Let's just begin to build the trust," he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lets-just-start-to-build-trust-gam-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }