Sun, 24 Sep 2000

Aceh separatist rebels must be disarmed, says President

BANDUNG (JP): Armed rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) must be disarmed should the negotiations between the Indonesian government and the group fail.

"AGAM (the armed wing of GAM) is a rebellious group. We can sit and talk together for negotiation, but, they have to be disarmed. There are no other options," President Abdurrahman Wahid said in a meeting with the Aceh students and youth committee (KMPAN) in Bandung on Saturday.

The statement was made in response to a participant's question on the concrete steps by the Indonesian government to end the Acehnese suffering.

Some 300 Acehnese students joined the session titled Reflection Week of Aceh Students Movement 2000.

"They (AGAM) refuse to unite with the Republic of Indonesia, in a violent way. They must be stopped," he said.

Gus Dur, as the President is called, said the rebels were totally different from the police or military.

"The police and military are deployed in Aceh to maintain security and order," he said, acknowledging that efforts to deal with the prolonged mayhem had not been successful.

He said that an ideal formula to solve the Aceh problem had not yet been found. "The most important thing is that the rule of law must be implemented and maintained in Aceh."

The Indonesian government and GAM have agreed that a humanitarian pause be implemented in Aceh 'to tone down the tension.' The first pause started on June 2 and ended on Sept. 2.

On Saturday, rebel negotiators and Indonesian officials were to meet in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss the extension of the first pause.

Unofficially the pause has already been extended for two weeks so the talks in Switzerland could take place.

Progress

Gus Dur said he saw progress during the pause, despite the continued killing by some elements.

The most notorious killing was the murder of the rector of the state-owned Islamic Institute (IAIN) Ar-Raniry Safwan Idris at his residence in the campus complex.

While the negotiators were meeting in Geneva, and President Abdurrahman was speaking of his optimism about the peacemaking process in war-ravaged Aceh, the sound of bombs and gunfire echoed across the province on Saturday.

In the latest violence, a mutilated body was found in Lhokseumawe on Saturday, police said.

The provincial capital of Banda Aceh has been rocked by several bomb blasts over the past two days, damaging a military barracks and the police headquarters, injuring at least one officer.

Tazurra, a spokesman for the rebels, claimed responsibility for the two blasts, but said prior warnings had been given so the buildings could be evacuated, AP reported.

Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Rear Marshall Graito Usodo said on Thursday that the humanitarian pause had led to even more casualties.

Sixty-one civilians and security officers have died and 210 civilians and security officers have been injured during the first phase of the pause.

He told a press meeting that GAM had used the first phase for consolidation and training.

Back in Bandung, Gus Dur said that from pre-independence days Javanese have exploited Aceh's wealth, especially natural gas. "What happened was that Javanese, supported by the central government, robbed Aceh."

"Aceh is part of Indonesia, and Indonesia works with Aceh. That is why there is no way for Aceh to separate from Indonesia," he said. (25/sur)