Megawati urged to be more concrete on Aceh issues<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Activists here urged President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri on Monday to take more concrete measures in solving
\nthe conflict in Aceh, despite her planned visit this weekend to
\nthe province for a dialog.<\/p>\n
Munir, co-founder of the National Commission for Missing
\nPersons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), argued that the visit
\nwould be ineffective in calming the restive Acehnese unless it
\nalso convinced them of Jakarta's good intentions of laying the
\nfoundations for a sound future.<\/p>\n
"Megawati's visit is certainly valuable for the whole process
\nof solving Aceh's problems, but this symbolic trip should be made
\nin parallel with political policies that guarantee a realistic
\nsolution for Aceh," he told journalists at his office.<\/p>\n
"If she goes there merely for a question-and-answer session,
\nthen she'd be better not going at all," Munir argued.<\/p>\n
Woman activist Debra Yatim, who is Acehnese, suggested that
\nMegawati pay more heed to the voice of Acehnese women who had
\ntheir own perspective on Acehnese problems and who would be able
\nto offer a peaceful solution.<\/p>\n
"The visit is a good way of opening communications with the
\npeople and it's the right time to hear a plurality of perceptions
\non the issue since all this time the government and the media are
\nonly reacting to one source that is not representative of all the
\nAcehnese," she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Megawati is slated to visit Aceh on Saturday to convene a
\nmeeting with local figures, after it was postponed from last
\nSunday for unexplained technical reasons, following the growing
\nviolence there.<\/p>\n
On Monday, State Secretary\/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo
\nannounced that the visit had been changed to a one-day trip on
\nSept. 8 and that there was still no specific agenda for it.<\/p>\n
At least 20 people were killed within the last four days in
\nseveral isolated incidents and clashes related to the separatist
\nmovement there; most of the victims were civilians, including an
\nAceh legislative councillor, Zaini Sulaiman Ishaq.<\/p>\n
Megawati has apologized to the Acehnese people for decades of
\nhuman rights abuses, a move many analysts have welcomed but have
\nsaid needed to be backed up by concrete investigations.<\/p>\n
Munir insisted that Megawati cease offensive military
\noperations and speed up legal proceedings against human rights
\nabuses in the province, especially cases that had been identified
\nby the government.<\/p>\n
He said that Jakarta ought to change its point of view in
\nunderstanding the problems of Aceh and start to see them through
\nthe eyes of the Acehnese who had lost faith in the government and
\nwere therefore striving for independence.<\/p>\n
"Both Presidential Instruction No. 4\/2000 on a comprehensive
\nway to resolve Aceh's problems and the government's offer of the
\nNanggroe Aceh Darussalam special autonomy law failed to take into
\naccount what the Acehnese people really need.<\/p>\n
"Special autonomy is only a shift of authority from the
\nminister of home affairs to the governor, but not of the power
\nitself. Jakarta has to listen more to the Acehnese people and
\nconsider more of their ideas," he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais
\nurged the government to implement immediately the special
\nautonomy law and speed up the disbursement of budgetary
\nallocations for Aceh.<\/p>\n
"I urged a quick implementation of the special autonomy law. I
\nreally consider the law to be the major factor that may regain
\nthe trust of the Acehnese in the central government," Amien told
\njournalists after a meeting with Vice President Hamzah Haz.<\/p>\n
"I also gave a reminder that the people of Aceh might be
\nfurious because the province has only received some 30 percent of
\nthe allocated state budget, although it has been in effect for
\nmore than six months," he further underlined.<\/p>\n
Amien applauded Megawati's visit plan and suggested she stay
\nin the province for two or three days.<\/p>\n
"I believe that the separatist movement will not cause any
\ndisturbance while the President is in the province. It would
\nbring much joy to the Acehnese if the President could stay and
\neven visit other areas besides Banda Aceh," he remarked.
\n(bby\/dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-urged-to-be-more-concrete-on-aceh-issues-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}