NGOs move to save peace agreement in Aceh<\/p>\n
Nani Farida and
\nTiarma Siboro
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nBanda Aceh\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Activists representing 41 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
\nin Aceh have launched a month-long campaign to save the five-
\nmonth-old peace agreement that has nearly ended almost three
\ndecades of armed conflict there.<\/p>\n
Risman A. Rahman, coordinator of the NGO-HAM human rights
\nwatchdog, said for the whole of April the organizations would
\ncall for awareness of the civilian community in the war-torn
\nprovince about the peace agreement signed by the Indonesian
\ngovernment and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in talks brokered by the
\nHenry Dunant Centre in Geneva on Dec. 9 last year.<\/p>\n
The campaign, calls for a peaceful, violent-free month to save
\nthe Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) and the people of
\nAceh. It was declared on Tuesday at the Joint Security Committee
\n(JSC) office in the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
"We realize that if the peace agreement fails, the civilian
\ncommunity will suffer the most," Risman said.<\/p>\n
During the campaign, the activists will create a service to
\nreceive complaints of violations of the peace accord, organize
\ndiscussions and call on both Jakarta and GAM to comply with the
\npeace agreement.<\/p>\n
He said the move was prompted by demonstrations in several
\nparts of the natural-resource rich province against JSC.<\/p>\n
Risman said he suspected that these were attempts to break
\ndown the truce, as reflected by the rallies, widespread illegal
\nfees imposed on people and the creation of militia groups
\napparently opposed to GAM.<\/p>\n
He admitted that the peace agreement was fragile due to its
\nweak enforcement, but at least it had significantly curbed the
\namount of violence.<\/p>\n
"It's wiser therefore to criticize and improve the
\nimplementation of the truce, rather than trying to tear it
\napart," he said.<\/p>\n
Another rights activist, Rufriadi, said the promotion of the
\npeace agreement had not given the civilian community enough of a
\nrole to play. Instead civilian involvement ends up in arrests for
\nalleged provocation, he said.<\/p>\n
He was referring to the disappearance of NGO activists Muklis
\nand Zulfikar, whom rights activists claimed as victims of
\nabduction by military personnel.<\/p>\n
Rufriadi said six other activists had been targeted by
\nsecurity authorities for criticizing the weak implementation of
\nthe peace agreement.<\/p>\n
The accord requires the military to relocate to defensive
\npositions and the National Police to reformulate Mobile Brigade
\npersonnel into ordinary police officers. It also calls for GAM to
\nlay down its arms over a five-month period between Feb. 9 and
\nJuly 9.<\/p>\n
The NGOs move contradicted the government's fresh warning that
\nthe peace deal could break down because of repeated violations by
\nGAM.<\/p>\n
Speaking after a weekly meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday,
\nCoordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono said the government would ask JSC to intervene
\nin and correct the implementation of the peace accord due to the
\nviolations.<\/p>\n
"I will invite HDC chairman Martin Griffith and GAM
\nrepresentative Malik Mahmud for a meeting here within a week to
\ntalk about steps to be taken to respond to the current situation
\nwhich has apparently worsened," Susilo said.<\/p>\n
Both Martin and Malik live in Switzerland.<\/p>\n
Wiryono Sastrohandoyo, Indonesia's chief negotiator who
\nattended the meeting, refused to comment on it. He just said: "I
\nwish the government could be wise."<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-move-to-save-peace-agreement-in-aceh-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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