Peace process in Aceh on the right track, Kalla says<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Thursday that the current
\npeace-building process in Aceh was on the right track, giving
\noptimism for a lasting peace in the resource-rich province, which
\nfor three decades had been wracked by bloody armed conflict.<\/p>\n
"It is on the right track. The big work now is completing the
\ndecommissioning process," he told the press at his office,
\nreferring to the final process of disarmament of members of the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) and the withdrawal of non-regular
\nmilitary and police troops from the province, one of the major
\ncomponents of the landmark peace accord signed by the government
\nand GAM on Aug. 15.<\/p>\n
Kalla, who supervised the government team in the peace
\nnegotiation process that took place in Helsinki, believed that
\nGAM would surrender all of its weapons as required.<\/p>\n
According to the Vice President, the Acehnese have more
\nhomework to complete in order to achieve a lasting peace in Aceh:
\ndrafting the bill on the governing of Aceh. This legislation is
\nexpected to allow former GAM members to form local political
\nparties to join in the next elections of local administration
\nleaders and councillors.<\/p>\n
He said that the bill must accommodate all layers of Aceh
\nsociety, including GAM, which started its campaign for
\nindependence in 1976 leading to a lengthy war that has taken over
\n15,000 lives.<\/p>\n
The government also expected GAM to disclose the names of its
\nmembers to be given financial support for reintegration.<\/p>\n
"After the completion of the truce, GAM members must
\nreintegrate into Indonesia. They will be given land, so the
\ngovernment needs the names of their members for the certificate
\nas well as for their ID cards," Kalla said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, GAM handed over some of their last weapons on
\nThursday in the final phase of the disarmament process.<\/p>\n
The decommissioning of arms is scheduled to be completed on
\nSaturday, Associated Press reported.<\/p>\n
GAM has surrendered a total of 730 weapons, which had been
\naccepted by the government so far, said Maj. Gen. Bambang
\nDharmono representing the Indonesian government.<\/p>\n
Under the truce, GAM must hand over a total of 840 functioning
\narms, while the government must withdraw 24,000 soldiers and
\npolice, both by the end of the year. The last 5,800 soldiers in
\nAceh are scheduled to leave on Dec. 29.<\/p>\n
"The Free Aceh Movement rebels still need to hand in 110 more
\nweapons," Bambang said.<\/p>\n
However, GAM member Teungku Muharram said he was confident the
\nDec. 31 deadline would be met.<\/p>\n
Peace efforts in Aceh picked up speed after the massive
\nearthquake and tsunami struck the area on Dec. 26, 2004, killing
\n131,000 people in the province and leaving half a million others
\nhomeless.<\/p>",
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