Syafei's death no threat to peace efforts in Aceh<\/p>\n
Antara, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The killing of the military commander of the Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM) Tengku Abdullah Syafei will have no significant impact on
\nthe efforts to bring about peace in the troubled province, an
\nAcehnese legislator says.<\/p>\n
\"The resolution to the Aceh question is in the hands of Hasan
\nTiro, who is now living in self-imposed exile in Sweden. Dialogue
\nwith the overseas Acehnese should not be halted as those in Aceh
\nare only carrying out policies mapped out by the leaders in
\nexile,\" Ghazali A. Addhan was quoted by Antara as saying on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
Another Acehnese legislator, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, said that
\nthe death of Syafei should serve as a lesson that the fight for
\nthe people's interests should be carried out through peaceful
\nmeans.<\/p>\n
\"Because if we use violence, the stakes are very high,\" Ferry
\nsaid here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Syafei was killed during a military raid in Jiem-Jiem, Pidie,
\non Tuesday afternoon. His wife, Fatimah, and a several guards
\nwere also killed in the shoot-out.<\/p>\n
According to Ghazali, it was still too early to assess the
\nimpact of Syafei's death on the efforts to restore peace and
\norder in the restive province.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot gauge how big the impact will be. He is considered
\na prominent figure,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, political analyst Maswadi Rauf of the University of
\nIndonesia said on Wednesday that the killing of Syafei and his
\nwife would weaken GAM's armed struggle, but warned against
\nthinking that his death would force the Acehnese to abandon their
\ndemand for independence.<\/p>\n
\"Some Acehnese might get angrier (with the killing of
\nSyafei),\" Maswadi was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
The Acehnese should not be blamed for demanding secession from
\nthe unitary state of Indonesia because \"the insurgency movement
\nand the prevailing anger among the Acehnese people have been
\ntriggered by the wrong policies introduced by the New Order\" in
\nthe province, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Separation would bring no benefits to either GAM or
\nIndonesia,\" Maswadi said, adding that both sides should be come
\ntogether through economic and cultural approaches.<\/p>\n
\"Autonomy is one way of resolving the Aceh question. Religious
\nand cultural approaches are still needed to keep Aceh (in
\nIndonesia,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/syafeis-death-no-threat-to-peace-efforts-in-aceh-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}