Peace monitors destroy last weapons<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Former Aceh rebels watched on Wednesday as international peace
\nmonitors fed a final batch of their weapons into a circular saw,
\na symbolic end to the nearly three-decade of civil war in the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
Since the signing of a peace agreement in Helsinki in August,
\nthe former fighters have handed in all of their declared 840 arms
\nand the Indonesian Military (TNI) has withdrawn nearly 20,000
\ntroops from Aceh -- with hundreds more scheduled to leave before
\nthe month's end.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, six Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels presented
\nEU-led peace monitors with their guns at an emotional ceremony
\nattended by hundreds of people.<\/p>\n
Each of the weapons was cut into three pieces.<\/p>\n
\"We are moving in the right direction and are willing to keep
\nmoving on,\" rebel spokesman Irwandi Yusuf told AP, adding that he
\nwas also sad to see the destruction of \"guns that were our
\nfriends when we were fighting for Acehnese interests\".<\/p>\n
Following the end of decommissioning process, he disclosed
\nthat GAM plans to set up Aceh Transition Committee for its 3,000
\nsoldiers.<\/p>\n
\"We won't let former GAM members live in neglect, that's why
\nwe plan to form the committee,\" Irwandi said, adding the
\ncommittee is expected to be set up following the official
\ndisbandment of GAM military structure by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
He said the committee will serve to assist the soldiers during
\nthe transition period to become civilians as well as working to
\nguide former rebels and give sanction when they conduct
\nviolations.<\/p>\n
\"In the future, the committee can be turn into political party
\nbut let's wait until law of political party being amended,\"
\nIrwandi said.<\/p>\n
GAM spokesman Sofyan Dawood said the committee would be led by
\nformer GAM commander Teungku Muzakir Manaf.<\/p>\n
\"The committee will be different than GAM's military. It's
\nunarmed and the former rebels will eventually turn into civilians
\nand become independent,\" Sofyan said. The former rebels were
\nbadly in need of training and education so they could live
\nindependently after fighting in guerrilla groups for years, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
GAM took up arms in 1976 to carve out an independent homeland
\nin the oil- and gas-rich province. Nearly 15,000 people died in
\nthe conflict, many of them civilians caught up in army sweeps
\nthrough remote villages.<\/p>\n
Peace efforts gained momentum after the massive earthquake and
\ntsunami struck the region on Dec. 26, 2004.<\/p>\n
With the sensitive phase of disarmament and decommissioning
\nnear completion, the government will start preparing laws giving
\nthe rebels the right to form a political party and cementing the
\nregion's right to greater autonomy and control of its natural
\nresources. They also will start paving the way for provincial
\nelections.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/peace-monitors-destroy-last-weapons-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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