New schedule set for Megawati's visit to Aceh<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Although President Megawati Soekarnoputri does
\nnot have a clear plan to meet with members of the separatist Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM) in her visit to Aceh on Saturday, GAM insists
\nthat a dialog between her and its top leader be held in Sweden to
\ninitiate further dialogs between the two sides.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after meeting with the President in
\nJakarta on Wednesday that \"Ibu will leave for Banda Aceh on
\nSaturday (in the morning) and will fly back in the evening.\"<\/p>\n
He said that Megawati would meet with Acehnese community
\nfigures, but \"it was up to the local administration whether or
\nnot GAM members would participate in the meeting\".<\/p>\n
GAM spokesman Ayah Sofyan, told The Jakarta Post in Banda Aceh
\non Wednesday that if the government of Indonesia wanted to
\nresolve Aceh's problems thoroughly, dialogs between the
\ngovernment and GAM must be initiated by a meeting between
\nMegawati and the GAM leader living in Sweden.<\/p>\n
Sofyan is the spokesman for GAM in Aceh Rayeuk, which covers
\nBanda Aceh and the regency of Aceh Besar.<\/p>\n
\"The talks must take place outside the country and be
\nsupervised by a neutral party because Indonesia and Aceh must sit
\nas two sovereign countries in the dialog.\"<\/p>\n
Hasan Muhammad Tiro, known as Hasan Tiro or Hasan di Tiro, is
\nthe GAM top leader living in Sweden, and is extremely popular
\namong Acehnese. Born in 1923, Hasan lives in an Acehnese
\ncommunity in the town of Nodsborg, some 20 kilometers south of
\nStockholm. He has been the president of the Aceh Sumatra National
\nLiberation Front (ASNFL), or GAM, since 1976.<\/p>\n
Hasan di Tiro declared \"Aceh's independence\" on Dec. 4, 1976.<\/p>\n
Megawati changed her schedule to visit the restive province
\ntwice for unclear reasons before Susilo announced the final
\ndecision on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military and National Police will provide maximum
\nsecurity for the President's visit, Susilo said.<\/p>\n
Ayah Sofyan said Megawati could not hold talks with any
\nAcehnese figure in her attempt to solve the province's problems.<\/p>\n
\"Talks with groups of people, who claim to be Acehnese
\nfigures, are not valid,\" he said, adding that GAM could not trust
\nanyone or any parties, except its top leader in Sweden, for
\ndialogs with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Rector of Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh Dayan Dawood
\nand chairman of the Muhammadiyah chapter of Aceh Teungku Imam
\nSuja' offered to mediate a dialog between GAM and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Sofyan refused the offer, saying that GAM and Indonesia must
\nsit as two sovereign states in the talks. \"Therefore, the
\nmediator must be an independent party.\"<\/p>\n
Chairman of the second largest Muslim organization
\nMuhammadiyah Syafii Ma'arif suggested here on Wednesday that
\nMegawati cancel her trip to Aceh \"if it is only a short visit\".<\/p>\n
\"She should learn to take Aceh's problems seriously before
\nvisiting the province.\"<\/p>\n
Despite the President's plan to visit Aceh, killing continued
\nin the troubled province.<\/p>\n
A 40-year-old teacher was found dead on Tuesday in North Aceh
\nwith gunshot wounds to her head and chest, police confirmed on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
A member of the provincial legislative council (DPRD),
\nSulaiman Ishak, was killed on Sept. 1.<\/p>\n
The volatile situation has led to the departure of other
\ncouncillors, while the government has accused GAM of being behind
\nthe terrorism.<\/p>\n
Ayah Sofyan strongly denied the accusation, saying that the
\ncouncillors feared the operation conducted by the Indonesian
\nMilitary and police intelligence. \"They kill anybody who they
\nthink are Acehnese figures, like Sulaiman.\"<\/p>\n
GAM has also denied attacking a vessel transporting coal, the
\nOcean Silver, in the Straits of Malacca on Aug. 25. The attackers
\nare holding six of the 12 crew members hostage and demanding Rp
\n300 million in ransom.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, AFP reported from Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday that
\nMalaysia would intensify patrols in the Straits of Malacca after
\nthreats of an attack by separatist guerrillas in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The marine police will ensure vessels in the straits -- one of
\nthe world's busiest shipping lanes -- are safe, transport
\nministry parliamentary secretary Donald Lim told The Star
\nnewspaper.<\/p>\n
GAM warned on Monday that ships using the Malacca Straits off
\nAceh's east coast should \"seek permission\" from the separatist
\ngroup, AFP reported. (dja\/50\/44\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-schedule-set-for-megawatis-visit-to-aceh-1447893297",
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