Aceh, Papua doubt government goodwill

JAKARTA (JP): Many Acehnese and Papuans have expressed doubt that the government could prevent human rights violations occurring in the restive provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya, following the apology from President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Some of them, especially separatist leaders in both provinces, have even expressed their indignation against the Indonesian government and said the apology would not help unless the government gave them the opportunity for self-determination.

"The killing of the Acehnese has continued until now, even as I'm talking to you, two days after Megawati apologized for the last time," Amri Abdul Wahab, a senior war commander of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

GAM has been fighting for independence from Indonesia since 1976 in the staunchly Muslim province.

Meanwhile, Papuan separatist leader Don Al Flassy, currently being tried for treason, adopted a gentler tone and said that the apology was good, but it had to be followed by efforts to solve human rights violations.

"Now Megawati should look into the root of the problems, why Papuans held a grand meeting and congress, and then expressed their wish to separate from Indonesia," said Don Flassy, a leader of the Papuan Presidium Council.

The congress held by the Council in June last year called on the government to recognize Papuans' declaration of independence in 1961.

No foreign country has acknowledged either Aceh's or Irian's unilateral declarations of independence or offered public support to the separatists concerned.

Handling separatism in both provinces that threatens Indonesia's unity is one of Megawati's toughest and most urgent tasks. Megawati has placed Aceh and Irian issues directly under her control.

In her first state-of-the-nation address on Thursday, Megawati offered the nation's apology to the Acehnese and Papuans, whom she said had become victims of oppressive policies in the past.

Megawati promised to redress the mistakes by giving Aceh and Irian Jaya autonomy status that would provide greater opportunity for local governments to manage their own affairs.

The President has signed a Nanggroe Aceh autonomy law, giving the province the power to determine its own judicial and educational systems. A similar law is being prepared for Irian Jaya.

However, many people in Aceh and Irian Jaya remain unconvinced by the offer of greater autonomy.

"The Acehnese do not trust the government any more because they have continually been cheated," said Husaini Ibrahim, a history lecturer at Banda Aceh-based Syiah Kuala University.

He said Indonesia's first president Sukarno, Megawati's father, had broken his promise to the Acehnese to allow the Acehnese to observe syariah (Islamic law).

"Now a similar promise has come from Megawati, Sukarno's daughter. Therefore, it's reasonable if the Acehnese demand a written promise," he said, adding that the signing of the "promise" must be witnessed by representatives of a third party.

Tgk Muslim Ibrahim, chairman of the Ulema's Consultative Assembly, welcomed the apology and called on Megawati to prove it in the field.

"Actions in the field will be more meaningful than a promise from the mouth," he said.

Maimul Fidar, executive director of the Coalition of Aceh Human Rights Non-Governmental Organizations, said the apology had to be accompanied by acknowledgement of past mistakes, and the mistakes had to be explained one by one. Then, the perpetrators had to be brought to justice.

Muhammad Nazar, jailed leader of the presidium of Aceh Referendum Information Center, said the Acehnese could not anymore accept apologies before their demands for self- determination were fulfilled by the government.

At the same time, political lecturer at Jayapura-based Cendrawasih University Welly Mendowen said that Megawati's apology should be accepted and urged Megawati, as a "victim of oppression by the New Order government" to open dialog with the Papuans.

Demianus Wakman, chairman of the Irian Jaya Legal Aid Institute, said the apology had to be supported by real actions from the government such as the prosecution of human rights violators in the province.

Meanwhile, constitutional law expert Sri Soemantri said that there would be no legal consequence arising from the President's apology as she was speaking to citizens in the regions that are still part of the country.

Nevertheless, if she wanted to be respected by people in the two regions, she had to prove her seriousness in solving problems in the two provinces.

"Stopping violence in the two provinces is most important, so that the people will trust the President's statements," he said. (50/35/02)