Abandon military campaign: Acehnese

Abandon military campaign: Acehnese

By Ibnu Mat Noor

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Pleas for the government to abandon its
military campaign in this wartorn province figured prominently in
Saturday's closed-door meeting between Acehnese figures and
visiting President Megawati Soekarnoputri, sources told The
Jakarta Post.

Meanwhile, response to the visit has been mixed, with one Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) member saying it had only increased the
frustration of Acehnese people.

About 100 community members screened by Aceh Governor Abdullah
Puteh were granted a one-hour meeting with the President at the
governor's house, however, only six of them had an opportunity to
speak personally with Megawati.

"The more troops coming to Aceh, the more unarmed civilians
will be killed. Therefore, the 2001 Presidential Decree No. 4
should be revoked," a source quoted Abdul Gani Nurdin, the only
non-governmental organization (NGO) activist out of the six, as
saying.

The Yadesa chairman was referring to Inpres No. 4, 2001,
issued in April in which former president Abdurrahman Wahid
instructed senior officials to look for a comprehensive solution
to the Aceh problem.

Nurdin said that there was too much past evidence indicating
that violence could never resolve Aceh's problems.

The former member of the now banned Monitoring Team of
Humanitarian Action was also reportedly asking for compensation
for civilians who had been shot by military personnel.

"All the perpetrators and their leaders responsible for the
crimes have to be tried in a fair and transparent way," Nurdin
was quoted as saying.

Nurdin also reportedly asked Megawati to fulfill the nine
promises made by former president B.J. Habibie.

"Only one was fulfilled, that is the expansion of Sultan
Iskandar Muda airport," he said.

The five others who managed to deliver their views to Megawati
were Tengku Daud Zamzami, an ulema leader; Tengku Imam Syuja'
from the Muhammadiyah Muslim organization; Dahlan Sulaiman, a
businessman; Muslim, a youth representative; and an unidentified
woman.

Calls for dialog came from at least two people, Tengku Daud
Zamzami, vice chairman of the Aceh Ulema Council, and Tengku Imam
Syuja', Muhammadiyah's chairman in Aceh. Zamzami reiterated the
need for both the military and GAM to hold a cease-fire at once.

"If my suggestion is accepted, I am convinced that peace will
return to Aceh," Zamzami was quoted as saying. In addition,
sources said, Zamzami asked for the 2001 Inpres No. 4 to be
revised.

Zamzami also offered the preparedness of Aceh ulema to mediate
a meeting between the government and GAM leaders.

"The government should first facilitate a meeting between Aceh
ulema and Tengku Hasan Tiro, GAM's leader based in Sweden," he
was quoted as saying by a Post source.

Muslim told Megawati to involve young people in efforts to
resolve the Aceh issue.

"As young people, we refuse to become mere spectators," he was
reported as saying.

The unidentified woman was reported to have explained the
sufferings of Acehnese women due to the prolonged conflict.

"Hopefully Ibu President is seriously concerned about them,"
she was quoted as saying.

Dahlan, who is the chairman of Aceh's branch of the Indonesian
Chamber of Trade and Industry, said that he hoped Megawati would
soon issue a directive conferring autonomy status on Sabang port
as promised.

Among the estimated 100 people who met Megawati were
legislators, ulema, university rectors, NGO activists, youth
activists, women activists, businessmen, adat (traditional)
leaders and 13 regents and mayors. Conspicuously absent was Aceh
legislature chairman Muhammad Yus.

Megawati reportedly promised to take their suggestions to the
Cabinet meeting to help the government seek a solution to the
Aceh turmoil.

In a related development, five community leaders of South Aceh
were abducted by an armed group, believed to be GAM members,
while they were returning home from the meeting with Megawati
Saturday.

Aceh's Law and Order Operation spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Sad
Harunantyo told the Post by phone Sunday that the five men
abducted were Tengku M. Daud Alsufi, Jajuli Al Jaelani, Tengku
Muhammad Yunus Toyibi, Tengku Muchlisin bin T.M. Daud Al Subi and
Agusman.