NGOs join move to promote peace<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In an attempt to boost civilian participation in the peace
\nprocess in Aceh, several local and international non-governmental
\norganizations (NGOs) have set up an independent team to ensure
\nthe government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) allow room for
\ndemocratization in the province.<\/p>\n
Called the Independent Civilian Peace Monitoring Team for Aceh
\n(ICPMTA), the group will recruit some 250 locals as volunteers to
\ncollect data and report human rights conditions in the province
\nsince the signing of the peace agreement in Geneva on Dec. 9 last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
The volunteers will be deployed in all eight regencies in Aceh
\nand are expected to file reports to the ICPMTA, which will be
\nbased in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The NGOs involved in the effort include the Institute for
\nPolicy Research and Advocacy (Elsam), the National Commission for
\nMissing Person and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and the
\nFoundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI).<\/p>\n
\"The establishment of the ICPMTA is in line with Article 2,
\nLine F, and Article 3, Line G of the peace agreement, which
\nstipulates the participation of civil society,\" Amiruddin of
\nElsam said in Jakarta on Monday.<\/p>\n
Article 2 (f) of the peace deal says both parties will allow
\ncivil society to express without hindrance their democratic
\nrights.<\/p>\n
Article 3 (g) says that a Joint Security Commission (JSC) and
\nmonitoring team(s) will be established and be operational within
\none month of the signing of the agreement to monitor its
\nimplementation in the province. Civil society has the right to
\nprovide input to the JSC.<\/p>\n
\"We have yet to secure approval from both the government and
\nthe JSC, but if they refer to the peace agreement, they have to
\naccommodate us -- as representatives of civil society -- in the
\npeace process in Aceh,\" Amiruddin said.<\/p>\n
The peace agreement outlines several political goals, such as
\nholding a democratic, all-inclusive dialog involving all elements
\nof Acehnese society. The dialog is to be facilitated by the Henry
\nDunant Centre in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Amiruddin also said that in Aceh, the ICPMTA would be directly
\nmonitored by the local Legal Aid Institute, while at the
\ninternational level the NGOs would set up a network in Bangkok,
\nManila and Kuala Lumpur through the Asia Forum.<\/p>\n
The ICPMTA will make its assessments available to both the
\ngovernment and the JSC, to help them make policies, to offer
\nadvocacy should violations take place and to propose resolutions
\nto problems in Aceh.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-join-move-to-promote-peace-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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