Malino-like peace action sought to settle problems in Aceh<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government is exploring the possibility of holding peace
\ntalks in the country to end the long-standing separatist conflict
\nin the province of Aceh if the dialog overseas proves fruitless,
\na senior minister said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"If the dialog being held so far abroad fails to resolve the
\nproblem, then we are looking at whether it is possible to promote
\npeace talks at home as we did in Malino for the Maluku and Poso
\nconflicts,\" Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
\nAffairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told Antara.<\/p>\n
Susilo was speaking to journalists during a two-day visit to
\nAceh and was accompanied by National Police chief Gen. Da'i
\nBachtiar. Susilo flew home to Jakarta later on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The government has brokered two separate rounds of peace talks
\nin Malino, a hillside resort in the South Sulawesi town of Gowa,
\nto quell religious fighting around the town of Poso, Central
\nSulawesi, and in the Maluku islands.<\/p>\n
Susilo admitted that the conflict in Aceh was different from
\nthose in Poso and the Malukus, but said the possibility of
\nholding peace talks to stop the separatist fighting must be
\nexamined.<\/p>\n
Unlike Muslims and Christians who are in conflict with one
\nanother in Maluku and Poso, Acehnese separatists belonging to the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) are at odds with the central government.<\/p>\n
GAM has been violently campaigning since 1976 for an
\nindependent Islamic state in Aceh, where an estimated 10,000
\npeople have been killed so far.<\/p>\n
However, Susilo said it would be up to the GAM leaders to
\naccept or reject the proposed plan for talks in the country. \"If
\nthey are ready to do so, the chance for a dialog is still open,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government and GAM leaders have held peace
\ntalks several times in Switzerland under the mediation of the
\nHenry Dunant Center to try to end the separatist fighting.<\/p>\n
The latest talks took place on Feb. 3, also in Switzerland,
\nbut they ended without achieving a deal other than an agreement
\nto further the dialog at an unspecified date.<\/p>\n
Susilo said the talks, held many times abroad between the
\ngovernment and GAM, had failed to reach a satisfactory outcome.<\/p>\n
He said a security approach alone would not settle the
\nproblems in Aceh but security could be improved if GAM members
\nhalted their armed struggle and terror.<\/p>\n
However, Susilo said: \"We will activate and intensify the
\nrestoration of security in an accurate way and not make target
\nmistakes while continuing to improve the conduct of security
\npersonnel on duty in Aceh\".<\/p>\n
The U.S. State Department in its annual rights report said on
\nMonday that security forces \"were responsible for numerous
\ninstances of, at times indiscriminate, shooting of civilians,
\ntorture, rape, beatings and other abuse, and arbitrary detention
\nin Aceh\" and elsewhere in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The report, quoted by AFP, also rapped the killings of
\ncivilians by the separatists.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, the Indonesian Military claims to have shot
\ndead a 25-year-old GAM member, Munasir, in a gunfight at Kandang
\nvillage, North Aceh regency, on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
During the incident, the military said it also confiscated a
\ngun, 35 bullets, 20 firecrackers and a GAM document from the
\nvictim.<\/p>\n
Rights activists in Pidie district said the body of a village
\nchief bearing severe torture marks was found on Tuesday, a day
\nafter he was abducted from his home by unknown men.<\/p>\n
Humanitarian activists found two bodies with gunshot wounds at
\nAlue Pisang in South Aceh while another was found at Saree in
\nAceh Besar district.<\/p>\n
Soldiers conducting a raid at Kuala Beukah in East Aceh shot
\ndead one rebel and arrested another on Tuesday, said the local
\nmilitary commander, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Nakir.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malino-like-peace-action-sought-to-settle-problems-in-aceh-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}