War returns to Aceh as peace talks fail<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
War looks set to return to Aceh after two days of talks to save a
\npeace pact between the Indonesian government and separatist
\nrebels broke down, with the government responding through the
\nimposition of martial law in the province.<\/p>\n
After more than 13 hours of marathon meetings on Sunday, the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) rejected Indonesia's demands to drop its
\nquest for independence, accept autonomy status for Aceh and lay
\ndown its arms.<\/p>\n
"There has been no indication from GAM (the Free Aceh
\nMovement) that it accepts the Unitary State of Indonesia as the
\nframework for a peaceful solution," Coordinating Minister for
\nSecurity and Political Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at
\nhis office.<\/p>\n
"The GAM statement concerned only technical and operational
\nmatters, which could have been discussed within the spirit of
\nspecial autonomy status."<\/p>\n
Martial law, under Presidential Decree No. 28\/2003, took
\neffect from midnight on May 19 for an extendible period of six
\nmonths. The decree was signed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\non Sunday night.<\/p>\n
Under this state of military emergency, newly installed Aceh
\nMilitary Commander Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya is named the military
\nruler, assisted by the Aceh governor and the chief of the
\nprovincial prosecutor's office.<\/p>\n
The last time martial law was imposed was in East Timor in
\n1999, as the government attempted to restore order in the former
\nIndonesian province following the outbreak of violence there.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's chief negotiator Wiryono Sastrohandoyo called GAM
\nstubborn for dismissing Indonesia's ultimatum at a time when tens
\nof thousands of Indonesian soldiers had been readied in Aceh to
\nlaunch a military operation.<\/p>\n
Wiryono told The Jakarta Post that Indonesia had handed over
\nto GAM a draft statement, which they hoped both sides could agree
\non.<\/p>\n
GAM revised the first draft and returned it as a second draft
\nto the Indonesian side. "We have accommodated some of their (GAM)
\nconcerns. But GAM flatly rejected the third draft," Wiryono said.<\/p>\n
GAM, meanwhile, said it was ready to face war.<\/p>\n
"The Indonesian government wishes to continue its war on the
\nAcehnese," GAM leader Mahmood Malik said, as quoted by Reuters.
\n"We shall fight. We are ready. We have been fighting for 27
\nyears."<\/p>\n
Mahmood added he would ask the UN to intervene, but did not
\nelaborate.<\/p>\n
The meeting in Tokyo was the last chance to salvage a five-
\nmonth-old cessation of hostilities deal, which was brokered by
\nthe Swiss-based Henry Dunant Centre (HDC).<\/p>\n
"The Henry Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue had been
\nengaged in last-minute efforts to bring the government of
\nIndonesia and the Free Aceh Movement together in an attempt to
\nhelp resolve their immediate differences and avert a resumption
\nof conflict," said HDC spokesman Steve Daly.<\/p>\n
"Those efforts were, unfortunately, unsuccessful."<\/p>\n
Initially, there was hope that GAM would cease its
\nindependence struggle in the face of a major military operation
\nand the absence of international support for its goals.<\/p>\n
GAM's negotiators had flown in from their exile in Sweden.<\/p>\n
In Aceh, other GAM negotiators participated in the talks via
\ntheir cellular phones after police barred them from leaving the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
But the chances for peace to prevail had been dim from the
\nonset. Rebels ignored a Monday deadline last week to accept
\nIndonesia's sovereignty over Aceh, while Jakarta pushed forward
\nwith its war plans.<\/p>\n
Coming under pressure from the international community,
\nMegawati, however, relented and agreed to the Tokyo meeting.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives lent its support for the war,
\nagreeing also to spend some Rp 1.25 trillion (about US$147
\nmillion) to finance the military operation.<\/p>\n
Given the domestic political support and the failure of the
\npeace talks, there is now nothing standing between the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) and war in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has launched what it has called a comprehensive
\noperation to purge separatists from Aceh. It comprises
\nhumanitarian aid, law enforcement, restoration of provincial
\nadministration and the military operation.<\/p>\n
The Tokyo meeting's failure marks the return of a military
\noperation, which, for many in Aceh, brings back memories of human
\nrights abuses during the 10 years the province was under military
\nstatus to 1998.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's westernmost province is rich in natural resources,
\nyet its population is impoverished because of the relentless
\nfighting and because Jakarta took too much revenue from the
\nprovince until recently.<\/p>\n
Numerous community leaders in Aceh have pleaded for a
\nmilitary operation to be averted and for both sides to stick to
\nthe peace process.<\/p>\n
The December 2002 peace deal helped reduce the level of
\nviolence significantly, but the deal was flawed from the onset,
\nlacking a political answer to the question of independence.<\/p>\n
GAM saw the peace deal as a stepping stone toward independence
\nand continued to campaign to that end. It also refused to disarm,
\nas required under the deal.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been charged with using pro-Jakarta militias as
\nproxies while its military withdrew to defensive positions.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/war-returns-to-aceh-as-peace-talks-fail-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}