RI issues last warning despite Tokyo talks<\/p>\n
Agencies, Tokyo\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Last-ditch peace talks with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) got
\nunderway in Tokyo on Saturday as Jakarta issued its final warning
\nfor the rebels to renounce their independence aspirations and
\naccept the special autonomy status.<\/p>\n
The talks provided a glimmer of hope that a fresh round of war
\ncould be avoided in the troubled province, where the government
\ncontinued to beef up its troops, preparing for its biggest
\nmilitary operation in decades.<\/p>\n
Government troops reportedly killed seven rebels in Aceh
\nprovince on Saturday in a clash over the hoisting of a separatist
\nflag.<\/p>\n
A military official in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, who
\ndeclined to be identified, said the fight took place in a village
\nin South Aceh on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
\"Seven GAM rebels died in the exchange of fire,\" the official
\nwas quoted by Reuters as saying.<\/p>\n
Delegates to the talks, a desperate effort to rescue a
\nDecember peace pact, declined to comment to reporters as they
\nentered the venue in central Tokyo on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, President Megawati Soekarnoputri held an impromptu
\nlimited Cabinet meeting on Saturday evening to discuss the latest
\nsituation in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Briefing the press after the meeting, Coordinating Minister
\nfor Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nstressed that GAM had to accept the conditions the government had
\nput forward if it wanted to avoid facing the full brunt of the
\nmilitary.<\/p>\n
\"If GAM gives no positive response (to the conditions), the
\nintegrated operations will be launched in Aceh,\" said Susilo,
\nadding that Megawati would issue a decree either on May 18 or 19
\nat the latest.<\/p>\n
The government had issued three prerequisites for the peace
\ntalks to resume in Aceh -- GAM must accept the territorial
\nintegrity of Indonesia, accept the special autonomy status and
\nlay down their weapons.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, however, the government added a new condition for
\nGAM to avoid war, that is the rebels have to hand over their
\nweapons to police authorities, not in the designated places as
\nstipulated in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA)
\nsigned on Dec. 9, 2002. Indonesia has not withdrawn from the
\nCOHA.<\/p>\n
According to Susilo, the government had conveyed the terms to
\nGAM during Saturday's meeting, and the GAM had promised to give
\ntheir answer on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"Should there be dramatic changes, meaning GAM accepts the
\nthree conditions and hands over 60 percent of its weapons to the
\npolice, the government will declare a modified state of emergency
\nin Aceh,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
The government had revealed the so-called integrated
\noperations -- combining humanitarian, law and order and security
\noperations -- in the troubled province and had considered
\ndeclaring martial law in the province.<\/p>\n
The government has boosted troops and police in the resource-
\nrich province to more than 45,000 from 38,000 in recent weeks,
\nand the armed forces chief said he was awaiting orders to launch
\nan offensive.<\/p>\n
In a port close to the industrial town of Lhokseumawe, a fresh
\nbattalion of Indonesian troops backed by 10 amphibious vehicles
\ncame ashore on Saturday, part of preparations for the offensive
\nagainst the rebels.<\/p>\n
The troops appeared set to provide security in the area around
\nLhokseumawe, part of a region that is home to gas fields operated
\nby U.S. oil and gas giant ExxonMobil. The military protects those
\nfields.<\/p>\n
Many Acehnese appeared to be taking the near collapse of the
\npeace agreement in stride. Children went to schools, including
\ngirls wearing headscarves and ankle-length uniforms.<\/p>\n
Traffic in Banda Aceh, home to 400,000 people, was busy as
\nmotorized trishaws bajaj competed with cars and motorbikes for
\nspace.<\/p>\n
The military presence on the streets was not as heavy as on
\nprevious days.<\/p>",
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