Aceh governor seeks talks with GAM leader Hasan Tiro
Aceh governor seeks talks with GAM leader Hasan Tiro
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh said on Friday that he wanted to
hold talks with Free Aceh Movement (GAM) top leader Hasan Tiro
during upcoming peace talks between the government and GAM in
Geneva, which is scheduled for Nov. 3 and Nov. 4.
"It depends on the mechanism of the dialog. The meeting could
take place on the sidelines of the peace talks. The prospects are
quite favorable," he told Antara news agency in the provincial
capital of Banda Aceh.
Puteh and Teungku Muhammad Yus, speaker of the Aceh
Legislative Council, will represent the provincial administration
at the two-day dialog in Switzerland.
A group of six Acehnese civilian figures led by Imam Suja will
also be present at the peace talks as observers. They arrived in
Geneva a few days ago.
Puteh's plan to meet with Tiro followed a meeting of the six
Acehnese civilian representatives with the top GAM leader last
Wednesday in Switzerland.
The governor said that before meeting with Tiro, he would meet
with President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Coordinating Minister
for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for
consultation.
The six figures expressed optimism that the government and GAM
would be able to reach a peace agreement to end decades of
separatist conflict in Aceh since 1976.
"We are taking back a message to the people of Aceh that GAM
wants to agree to a cessation of hostilities," Suja, who chairs
the Aceh chapter of Muhammadiyah, said in a press release issued
by the Henri Dunant Center (HDC).
GAM spokesman Bachtiar Abdullah said from Switzerland that
rebels hoped to sign a peace accord after this year's Muslim Idul
Fitri holiday in early December.
"We believe that the signing of an agreement with the
government of Indonesia is most likely to take place immediately
after Idul Fitri," he was quoted by AP as saying.
The much-awaited signing is expected to end one of Asia's
longest-running separatist fighting that has claimed thousands of
lives.
The press release said that during the meeting with Tiro, the
six Acehnese civilian representatives were delighted with
progress and comforted by GAM's clear assurances that a peaceful
solution to the conflict would be reached.
"The proposal for all-Aceh inclusive dialog, leading to local
elections in 2004 and a democratically elected government in Aceh
was also reaffirmed," it said.
"We understand this to be a clear commitment by GAM and the
government of Indonesia to fulfilling the wishes of the Acehnese
people. There may still be some hurdles to overcome, but, as both
sides prepare to embark on this momentous journey, our hopes are
high for what will be an historic agreement," it added.
Bachtiar said that during the fasting month of Ramadhan that
would start on Nov. 6, GAM would "stop all military actions
except for self-defense purposes".
The Geneva-based HDC, which is organizing peace talks, has
been pushing for an even earlier signing, possibly in mid-
November.
The rebels have insisted that international mediators must
monitor any future cease-fire. The government has fiercely
opposed foreign involvement in the past, but has since relaxed
its stand.
Bachtiar said the rebels were discussing the number and
country of origin of international monitors to oversee the deal.
Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said on
Wednesday that the government would grant a sweeping amnesty to
GAM members if the upcoming peace talks were successful.
The government insists that Aceh must remain part of
Indonesia, and has offered the province greater autonomy. GAM has
rejected previous offers of autonomy and additional revenues from
the province's oil and natural gas.
The government says the rebels have accepted the autonomy
offer, but Bachtiar claimed on Friday that GAM is holding out for
full independence. It was not immediately clear how the
discrepancy would be dealt with in the reported peace deal.