VP offers amnesty to Aceh rebels<\/p>\n
Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Vice President Hamzah Haz offered peace to the Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM) during his trip in Lhokseumawe on Wednesday, saying that
\nthe government would possibly give amnesty to the rebels.<\/p>\n
Speaking to local figures at the Multiple Purpose Building at
\nPT Arun NGL, some 10 kilometers west of Lhokseumawe, North Aceh,
\nHamzah said a peace deal would be possible.<\/p>\n
\"If GAM asks for amnesty from the government, the government
\nwill probably accept it on the condition that GAM will no longer
\ntake up arms in the future,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hamzah arrived at the Malikussaleh airport, some 25 kilometers
\nwest of Lhokseumawe on Wednesday morning. He took a helicopter to
\nTakengon, Central Aceh.<\/p>\n
At about 1 p.m. he left Takengon for Lhokseumawe for a meeting
\nwith the local figures. He spent the night at PT Arun and would
\nproceed with his trip on Thursday to Pidie concluding in Banda
\nAceh on Friday.<\/p>\n
Aceh was peaceful on Wednesday as scores of police and army
\ntroops were guarding the main roads.<\/p>\n
Hamzah's offers of amnesty apparently was not embraced by GAM
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
Senior chief of GAM Amri Abdul Wahab told The Jakarta Post by
\nphone that GAM would remain consistent with its struggle to be
\nindependent from the \"colonialists\".<\/p>\n
\"We will never seek a pardon from the colonialist government
\nof Indonesia. The Indonesian government should have apologized
\nfor killing thousands of Acehnese people,\" said Amri.<\/p>\n
In a separate interview with Antara former Aceh negotiator
\nSofyan Ibrahim Tiba said in Banda Aceh on Wednesday that the
\npeace deal between the government and GAM had a clear mechanism
\nand framework which had been agreed upon by the two parties.<\/p>\n
According to Ibrahim Tiba, the deal was signed by the
\ngovernment and GAM on Jan. 9 this year in Geneva, Switzerland.<\/p>\n
The deal stated that both sides agreed to stop violence and
\nuse dialog in settling any disputes.<\/p>\n
In addition to two meetings in Geneva, the government and GAM
\nhave also held talks in Banda Aceh in July ahead of more talks in
\nGeneva which were to be held in September, but never happened due
\nto continuing violence.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim Tiba said that the existing deal should be properly
\nmaintained and respected.<\/p>\n
\"Why should we change the old deal. The offer (of amnesty)
\nwill only disrupt the previous deal which favors dialog in
\nsettling the conflict. Just return to the Geneva deal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Aware of the importance of peace in Aceh, President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri signed the special Autonomy Law for Aceh in August
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
The law rules that Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam is the new name
\nfor the province, and the province will receive 75 percent of its
\noil and gas revenues.<\/p>\n
The government also will allow the province to implement
\nIslamic law, obliging, among other things, all women to wear a
\nhead covering.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vp-offers-amnesty-to-aceh-rebels-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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