New date sought for peace talks on Aceh<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government said here on Wednesday it had
\nagreed to resume peace talks with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
\nrebels but ruled out the possibility of granting independence to
\nthe volatile province for fear that it would become another East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
The announcement of readiness for the resumption of peace
\ntalks dismissed the fact that a rebel leader, in a written
\nstatement issued on Monday, said his group was pulling out of the
\nnegotiations with the government to protest the escalating
\nviolence by security personnel in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters at the State Palace, Director for
\nPolitical Affairs at the foreign ministry Hasan Wirayuda claimed
\nthat GAM members were still trying to set up a new date for the
\npeace talks, which were originally scheduled to start in a town
\nnear Geneva on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that (the talks) could take place by the end of this
\nmonth or before (Ramadhan) fasting month,\" Hasan said.<\/p>\n
Hasan, who was also the signatory representing Jakarta to a
\ntruce between the government and the rebels in May, said GAM had
\nsought the delay in order not to clash with the Congress of the
\nAceh People organized by the Information Center for the Aceh
\nReferendum (SIRA).<\/p>\n
The truce, officially dubbed the Humanitarian Pause, was
\nextended in September for another three months but has so far
\nfailed to reduce tension and violence in Aceh.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Acehnese leaders from across the province adopted
\na declaration in favor of secession from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The declaration demanded the government \"return the
\nsovereignty of Aceh to the Acehnese nation.\"<\/p>\n
It also sought the withdrawal of security forces from the
\nprovince and urged Jakarta to accept responsibility for military
\natrocities in the province.<\/p>\n
Other demands were intervention and mediation by the UN and
\nother foreign countries, and the revoking of a declaration of war
\nby the Netherlands against the kingdom of Aceh of March 26, 1873,
\nwhich the separatists argue is proof of Aceh's sovereignty.<\/p>\n
No independence<\/p>\n
But Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security
\nAffairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said later in the day that
\nJakarta would not bow to demands for a referendum on
\nindependence.<\/p>\n
\"The political solution to the Aceh problem is still within
\nthe framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,
\n(and) not independence for that region,\" Susilo told journalists.<\/p>\n
\"We had a very valuable experience with (last year's) popular
\nconsultation in East Timor; we do not wish to repeat such a
\nmistake,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Indonesia lost the territory in a UN-sponsored referendum
\nafter its people voted overwhelmingly for independence in August
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Susilo also said the demands for withdrawal of troops and
\npolice, accused of widespread human rights abuses in the past,
\nwere unlikely to be met.<\/p>\n
\"If we pull them out, that would very much go against the
\nprinciples of order and security,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
At least 14 people died after police blocked Acehnese trying
\nto travel to Banda Aceh for Saturday's rally, activists said. The
\nmilitary said the only people killed were separatist rebels.<\/p>\n
The violence was the latest in Aceh despite a cease fire that
\nhas been in place since June 2.<\/p>\n
Susilo indicated that if the Humanitarian Pause was
\nineffective in maintaining peace and order, the government were
\nconsidering a civil emergency status for Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"However, the government will continue the Humanitarian Pause
\nor stop it and formulate another option which remains within the
\nframework of a peaceful solution,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
Separately, chairman of the Aceh chapter of the Indonesian
\nUlemas Council (MUI) Imam Suja' and Director of the Coalition of
\nAceh Non-Governmental Organizations on Human Rights Maimul Fidar
\nexpressed hopes that the political dialog could be conducted as
\nplanned to speed up the settlement to the Aceh problem.<\/p>\n
An activist with the Aceh National Commission on Human Rights
\nSepriady Utama said on Tuesday that the commission planned to
\nsummon Aceh police chief Chaerul R. Rasyidi soon as he should be
\nheld accountable for various incidents of violence against
\ncivilians prior to the SIRA RAKAN.<\/p>\n
The Commission data recorded 30 people dead, and 62 injured in
\nseparate violence, linked to the mass gathering.<\/p>\n
On the commission's plan, Chaerul said he was ready to answer
\nthe summon.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly
\nAmien Rais in his capacity as the chairman of the National
\nMandate Party (PAN) arrived here at Banda Aceh. The visit was a
\npart of his \"Tour de Sumatra\".<\/p>\n
While ruling out independence for the province, the staunch
\ncritic of President Abdurrahman Wahid said Jakarta was slow in
\nresponding to Aceh's problems and failed to materialize its
\npromises, such as endorsing a law dubbed Nangro Aceh Darussalam,
\n(Aceh Darussalam territory), granting the province special
\nautonomy and to revert Sabang seaport into a free seaport.
\n(02\/50\/lup\/buy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-date-sought-for-peace-talks-on-aceh-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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