Aceh rebel offer worth pondering

Aceh rebel offer worth pondering

The offer by the Aceh separatists for a ceasefire with the
Indonesian army in the wake of the tsunami disaster in northern
Sumatra was cynical. It was a shameless and manipulative device
aimed almost entirely at gaining attention and sympathy for the
illegal and dangerous Free Aceh Movement known as GAM.

But the ceasefire offer is also a great idea that the
authorities in Jakarta should have thought of. It is encouraging
they are responding, and seek to turn disaster relief into a
beneficial peace for Aceh. Hostilities in Aceh effectively ceased
on the morning of Dec. 26 anyhow.

Now Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla says the government
wants to turn the ceasefire into a permanent truce. This is
encouraging. Neither the army nor the rebels have made gains in
the wake of the disaster.

The decision by the government to offer even more than GAM is
welcome news, and any peace profit goes to the people of Aceh in
any case.

There are times to use strong security and military measures
against threats to national unity. This is not one. While no GAM
attack or threat should go unanswered, Jakarta must remain
militarily passive. There is a strong possibility some good can
emerge, with the help of the UN and other relief efforts. It
might be that Jakarta and GAM, with a common interest in
rebuilding Aceh, can build their own fragile relations.
-- The Bangkok Post