Mega's visit expected to pave way for peace in Aceh<\/p>\n
By Syahruddin Hamzah<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (Antara): President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\nplanned visit here this week has long been awaited by leaders
\nfrom different spectrums of Acehnese society, including the Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM) rebels.<\/p>\n
The visit is expected to pave the way for a new policy that
\nwill bring peace to Aceh after years of armed conflict involving
\nthe military and GAM.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that the presence of Ibu Mega will bring new hope in
\nthe efforts to seek a peaceful and thorough settlement to the
\nAceh conflict,\" said Tengku Imam Suja', a community leader in
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
Megawati is not expected to make extravagant promises because
\nfailure to honor any commitment would result in a loss of
\nconfidence in her administration, as occurred to her predecessors
\nB.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Past mistakes have made the Acehnese skeptical about visits by
\ngovernment officials.<\/p>\n
\"President Megawati should not make the same mistake if she
\nreally wants to settle the Aceh problem peacefully,\" Imam Suja'
\nstressed.<\/p>\n
He said Megawati's visit to Aceh will be significant if
\nviolence, killing, kidnapping and looting, which occur in Aceh
\nalmost every day, finally cease.<\/p>\n
Aceh Legislative Council security commission speaker M.Nasir
\nJamil pointed out that violence in the province of 4.1 million
\npeople had escalated between April and August this year.<\/p>\n
He estimated that clashes between the military and separatist
\nrebels in Aceh had claimed the lives of 500 people in that
\nperiod, the disappearance of 40 people and the destruction of
\n1,000 houses.<\/p>\n
During the latest tragedy in Idi Rayeuk, East Aceh, 30 people
\nwere killed and seven others seriously wounded. All the victims
\nwere employees of a plantation company, PT Bumi Flora in Idi
\nRayeuk.<\/p>\n
Idi Rayeuk was only one of numerous unexplained massacres in
\nAceh over the past decade.<\/p>\n
State\/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo told the press in
\nJakarta on Aug. 28, 2001, that during the planned visit to Aceh
\nPresident Megawati would hold a dialog with local people,
\nincluding GAM.<\/p>\n
\"If they (GAM) are prepared to attend the dialog, please
\ncome!\" he said, adding that the President had no plan to visit
\nany regency in the westernmost province.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung has expressed his hope that
\nduring the Aceh visit the President can find forums for dialog
\nwith the Acehnese aimed at maintaining the unitary state of the
\nRepublic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Preparedness to talk with all elements in Aceh does not mean
\nthat the government will soften its stance on GAM, according to
\nAkbar. \"We will never tolerate separatist movements,\" he
\nstressed.<\/p>\n
A House member from Aceh, Nurlif, said that the abundance of
\nviolence in Aceh had made people in the region wonder why the
\nperpetrators were never known.<\/p>\n
He expressed his hope that the President would endeavor to
\nreveal those responsible for the violence upon her return to
\nJakarta from Aceh.<\/p>\n
When Megawati visited Aceh just ahead of the 1999 general
\nelection in her capacity as chairwoman of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle, she pledged to stop bloodshed in
\nthat region. Now Aceh awaits the fulfillment of her promise.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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