Monitors expects next disarmament before Ramadhan<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh<\/p>\n
The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) says it expects the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) to surrender more weapons before the start of the
\nRamadhan fasting month in early October.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that the second stage (of the disarmament process)
\ncould be carried out before Ramadhan,\" head of AMM Pieter Feith
\ntold reporters here on Saturday, referring to the Muslim fasting
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
GAM surrendered a quarter of its weapons of various types,
\nincluding AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles, to AMM during the first
\nstage of the decommissioning process completed on Sept. 17.<\/p>\n
Under the peace accord signed by the government and GAM, the
\nformer rebel group is required to surrender all of its declared
\n840 weapons in four stages to be completed by Dec. 31.<\/p>\n
AMM, which groups peace monitors from the European Union and
\ncertain member countries of the Association of South East Asian
\nNations (ASEAN), will then destroy the weapons after a
\nverification process.<\/p>\n
In exchange for GAM's disarmament, the Indonesian Military
\nTNI) and National Police must reduce their presence in the
\ntsunami-wrecked province. At the end of the disarmament process,
\nonly 14,700 soldiers and 9,100 police officers will be allowed to
\nstay.<\/p>\n
Feith said that the government had carried out its part of the
\ndeal in pulling out some of the non-regular military and police
\npersonnel from Aceh.<\/p>\n
He said that over the past 10 days, the government had carried
\nout voluntary actions by withdrawing some 6,500 TNI troops and
\n1,300 paramilitary police from Aceh.<\/p>\n
Feith was hopeful that the whole disarmament process could be
\ncompleted by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
Under the agreement, GAM has agreed to dissolve as a military
\norganization and to drop its demand for independence. In return,
\nthe government has promised an amnesty and full political rights
\nfor GAM members, the release of political prisoners, and is now
\nin the process of withdrawing more than half of the estimated
\n57,000 soldiers and police currently stationed in the province.<\/p>\n
The government has also promised to provide former GAM members
\nwith small plots of land and money in order to help them
\nreintegrate into Acehnese society.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, State Minister of Communications and Information
\nSofyan Djalil, who has also been active in brokering the peace
\naccord, said that the government had offered some Rp 200 billion
\n(about US$19 million) worth of funds to help finance the
\nreintegration process of GAM members back into the community.<\/p>\n
He said that part of the money would also be used to help
\npeople whose lives had been affected by the decades-long
\nconflict.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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