Accord an Independence Day 'gift', says Susilo

Accord an Independence Day 'gift', says Susilo

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has appealed to government
negotiators to prevent any problem that could lead to the failure
in the signing of a peace deal with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
on Monday.

"The President told us to be very serious and prevent anything
that may disrupt the peace agreement," Minister of Communications
and Information Sofyan Djalil said after a meeting on Friday with
government delegates ahead of their departure for Finland to sign
the pact.

Sofyan, who is among the negotiators, said Susilo asked the
delegates to thank God and pray for the success of the peace
accord, which the President said would be "a gift for Indonesia's
60th independence anniversary".

The President also called on all delegation members "not only
to witness the historical event but also to show the world that
all Indonesians support the peace process" for Aceh.

The peace process received a major boost this week from the
House of Representatives, which had initially opposed the
"internalization" of the Aceh issue since the peace talks were
held in Helsinki, Finland, and involved foreign mediators.

Some of the negotiation team members -- Sofyan Djalil, Farid
Husain, Usman Basyah, I Gusti Wesaka Puja and former Aceh martial
law administration head Maj. Gen. Bambang Darmono -- flew to
Helsinki on Friday.

Other delegates -- team advisor Coordinating Minister for
Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto and
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin -- will also
leave for Helsinki on Saturday.

As chief government negotiator, Hamid will sign the peace deal
with GAM to end almost three decades of separatist fighting in
the tsunami-ravaged province.

Joining the delegates as witnesses in the peace accord will be
House Deputy Speaker Zaenal Ma'arif, chairman of the House
Commission I for defense and international affairs Theo L.
Sambuaga, and two Acehnese legislators Farhan Hamid and Tengku
Nurlif, as well as two members of the Regional Representatives
Council (DPD) representing Aceh Malik Raden and Adenan Nyak
Sarong.

The government has also invited other Aceh representatives --
acting Aceh governor Azar Abubakar, Aceh Ulema Council chairman
Muslim Ibrahim, Aceh legislative council speaker Said Fuad
Zakaria and Aceh traditional community head Badruzzaman -- to
witness the signing of the peace deal.

Azwar said that all Acehnese welcomed the peace agreement,
although they are still cautious about a possible collapse of the
pact.

"They welcome it, but they are worried whether it will bring
lasting peace in the province or not," he said.

The government and GAM had earlier managed to produce a series
of agreements to stop the separatist conflict in Aceh, but all of
them broke down.

The latest truce by the two sides was the Cessation of
Hostilities Agreement, which was signed in 2002. It collapsed in
May 2003 and ended up with the imposition of martial law in the
province.

Peace talks reopened in Helsinki following the Dec. 26
earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Aceh, killing
hundreds of thousands of people.