Aceh issue draws MPR's attention

Aceh issue draws MPR's attention

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
admitted on Wednesday that concrete steps were imperative to ease
the rising demand for a self-determination referendum in Aceh.

But the law-making body failed to agree on a special decree
concerning the troubled province, citing lack of time.

The Ad Hoc Committee II members received a 17-strong Acehnese
delegation who requested that the Assembly issue a decree which
gives special autonomy to the province.

The delegation leader Ahmad Farhan Hamid told the legislators
that the MPR should offer the natural resources-rich province
special autonomy as compensation for the political and economic
injustice the Acehnese people have experienced for decades.

"Concrete action must be taken here and now. You should not
blame us if the Acehnese people decide to separate from
Indonesia.

"I am not threatening, but the situation in Aceh is critical
since most people, including ulemas (Muslim clerics) and rebel
groups, are pressurizing for a referendum in the province," he
said.

Hasballah M. Saad, a native Acehnese legislator from the
National Mandate Party (PAN), said the Acehnese people were very
disappointed with the government's failure to stop the bloodshed
in the province, to investigate human rights abuses blamed on the
Indonesian Military (TNI) and to put right the economic
injustices they have suffered.

"It will be too late if nothing is done until next year,
because the Acehnese people can be patient no longer," Hasballah
said.

All factions in the committee, which was deliberating the
draft decree on the presidential election, were of the same
opinion that the escalating tension and increasing separatist
demands were serious, and prompt action was needed to calm the
situation in the troubled province.

Hundreds of people have been killed since the TNI halted a
decade of military operations to crack down on separatist
movements in August last year.

"The Aceh issue is serious, and a MPR decree should be made to
recommend the next government takes concrete actions to seek a
peaceful solution to all problems in the province," Askin of the
Reform faction said.

Sabam Sirait, who presided over the meeting, said it was
impossible for the committee, which ended on Wednesday, to draw
up a draft decree on Aceh that soon.

"All ad hoc committees will report the results of their work
to the Assembly Working Committee on Thursday, only hours before
the plenary MPR session," he said.

The subcommittee agreed to discuss further the Aceh issue in
December to let factions concentrate on the presidential election
and collect more information on the latest developments in the
province.

East Timor

On East Timor, the Ad Hoc Committee II was able to offer two
alternatives to the decree which endorses the separation of the
territory from Indonesia.

The first option stipulates that the Assembly "basically can
accept" the result of the Aug. 30 popular consultation, which saw
78.5 percent of voters reject Indonesia's wide-ranging autonomy
offer. But the endorsement will be made in the MPR annual session
or in an extraordinary session within the period from 1999 to
2004.

Despite the acceptance, the MPR will ask the president to
investigate reports on irregularities allegedly committed by the
United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), and to demand that
Portugal amends an article in its constitution which places East
Timor under its jurisdiction.

The president should also be asked to delay the transfer of
administration to the UN until these conditions are fulfilled.
This is in order to protect the East Timorese from all the
consequences of the ballot and to maintain the country's unity.

Although the 1978 decree which declares East Timor status as
the country's 27th province will be revoked, the committee said
the government could not annul awards given to servicemen sent to
the territory.

The second alternative proposes more or less the same as the
first.

It differs only in that it recommends that the President
demand talks with the UN on allegations of irregularities linked
to UNAMET. The government will have to seek diplomatic
cooperation with Portugal to give up East Timor.

According to the second option, East Timor's separation from
Indonesia must comply with the laws currently in effect.

Ad hoc committee chairman Sabam said the two proposals would
be left to the MPR Working Committee to decide on Thursday.

The Reform faction, National Awakening faction, interest group
faction, Golkar Reform faction and United Development faction
have all thrown their weight behind the second alternative.

The Indonesian Democratic of Struggle faction said both
options should be combined, saying each of them contains
deficiencies.

Sabam said if the Working Committee failed to decide, the
draft decree on East Timor will be up to the Assembly to draft.
(rms)