Aceh police wary during first days of peace agreement

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The local police in the restive province of Aceh expressed their concern over how to proceed during the first days of peace with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), citing a lack of directives on how to respond in hostile situations.

Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Police chief Insp. Gen. Yusuf Manggabarani said on Friday that the transition to peace would be a critical period for the local police force.

"We'll try to avoid conflict with GAM, but should it arise we'll deal with it defensively," he told reporters here.

The government signed the peace accord with GAM last Monday after two-and-a-half years of tough negotiations under the auspices of the Swiss based Henry Dunant Centre (HDC).

Although hailed as a breakthrough, the peace deal is prone to violations by both sides, analysts say. They warned that the next few months would be critical in determining whether lasting peace could take root in the province of 4.1 million people.

GAM has been fighting for an independent state since 1976. This year more than 1,700 people have died in fighting, mostly civilians.

Previous cease-fire agreements always fell fallen apart as both sides failed to prevent their troops from fighting.

Already, two people have reportedly been killed since the signing of the peace agreement.

A humanitarian worker told AFP that two unidentified men shot dead Bulhaqki bin Abdul Rahman, 27, on Thursday at his home in Teupin Paku village, Bireuen district.

Rahman is the second confirmed victim of violence since Monday's peace agreement after unknown attackers shot dead a 30- year-old woman in South Aceh on Tuesday.

There was no official confirmation of the killings, but Manggabarani promised to continue to provide security for the public at large.

"It's a transition period where on the one hand the police must protect the public while on the other the details of the peace agreement haven't been ironed out yet," explained Manggabarani.

He said he had instructed local police forces in regencies throughout the province to be extra careful in taking actions.

"It is hoped that any problems will be directly handled by a policeman of officer rank," he added.

Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said earlier that skirmishes and violations of the agreement were almost certain to occur.

But he expressed the hope that such incidents would not derail the peace process, and threatened to deal firmly with any outsiders attempting to provoke clashes.

The peace agreement provides for a two-month grace period during which time GAM and government troops can monitor each others' compliance with the deal.

Once this period has passed, the delicate task of disarming GAM and relocating government troops to defensive positions will start.

The agreement itself, however, lacks details on the procedures for troops on the ground to respond should the other side violate the cease-fire.

Based on the peace accord, the two sides will sit together with HDC members on a Joint Security Committee (JSC) to monitor the cease-fire.

The committee has not yet been set up, and according to the agreement it might take up to one month after the signing before the JSC begins to function.

Analysts say that this provision represents a weak spot enabling troops on either side to change their battle formations to their own advantage.

On plans to convert the police's Mobile Brigade paramilitary force into a normal police force, Manggabarani said he expected the conversion to be finalized within the next two months.

Part of this would involve replacing Brimob troopers' automatic rifles with handguns, he explained.

He added that there would be no reduction in the number of police stations in the province, as their existence was a public service.