Aceh peace talks grapple with autonomy issue

Aceh peace talks grapple with autonomy issue

Agence France-Presse Helsinki

Peace talks between Indonesian government representatives and leading Aceh separatists continued on Tuesday, amid uncertainty over whether the rebels will accept a special autonomy proposal for the tsunami-stricken province.

"I think you can say the talks so far have been tough, considering the issues at stake (but) things seem to be going better today (Tuesday) than yesterday," Maria-Elena Cowell, spokeswoman for the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) foundation organizing the talks, told AFP.

One of the main matters on the table is Jakarta's controversial offer of limited self-rule for Aceh instead of full independence -- a proposal the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels had earlier called a "non-starter".

The group's Stockholm-based spokesman Bakhtiar Abdullah said early Tuesday however that the issue was indeed being discussed in detail.

"We are discussing the content of the special autonomy proposal ... We are still discussing if there is anything new on offer ... We have not agreed," he told AFP.

According to Cowell, the offer includes "talks of provincial elections (and) political participation for GAM".

The proposed autonomy deal could also include the introduction of Islamic law in the strife-ridden province, but Abdullah insisted that "that is not something the Acehnese people want".

A source close to the negotiations hinted that GAM was warming to the special autonomy idea.

"You can draw that conclusion from the fact that the talks are continuing," the source, requesting anonymity, said.

Despite the hard bargaining going on, this second round of Helsinki peace talks is considered a watershed in the dealings between the two warring sides.

When they met for a first round at the end of January, it was the first time the rebels and the government stood face-to-face since May 2003, when the government declared martial law and launched a major military offensive in the province.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since Aceh separatists began fighting for independence for the province in 1976, claiming Jakarta plunders its resources and the army commits atrocities against its population.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) on Tuesday warned that it could take action against the Aceh separatists if a deal is not reached in Helsinki.

"If (the talks are) fruitless, then we should never hesitate to take strong action against these separatists ... If GAM wants peace, then show it. Don't just attack Indonesian troops during humanitarian works," TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said.

A military soldier and two civilians were killed when a group of 30 rebels ambushed troops who were on their way to carry out relief work in western Aceh over the weekend, TNI said.

Abdullah meanwhile insisted that "we are still adhering to the call for cease fire", adding however that "the situation on the field right now is very disappointing."

If the two sides fail to reach an understanding, the talks could wrap up later Tuesday, a day ahead of schedule, but Cowell insisted that CMI was "still counting on having a press conference (ending the talks) tomorrow (Wednesday)".