Acehnese formulate 7-point declaration

Acehnese formulate 7-point declaration

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Some 100,000 people gathered in Banda
Aceh on Tuesday to hear the reading of a seven-point declaration
demanding the Indonesian government restore the sovereignty of
Aceh as a free and separate nation.

The declaration, read by Muhammad Nazar of the Information
Center for an Aceh Referendum, the organizer of the Mass
Gathering for Peace, also demanded Indonesian military forces
immediately be withdrawn from Aceh, the Indonesian government be
held accountable for atrocities in the area and the affairs of
all sectors in Aceh be normalized.

"If the above demands are not met by Nov. 26, 2000, we call on
all Acehnese to organize peaceful mass strikes from Nov. 27 to
Dec. 3, 2000," Muhammad said reading the declaration.

The declaration also included a call on the international
community and the United Nations to intervene to help find a
political, security and humanitarian solution to the problems in
Aceh.

It further demanded the Netherlands revoke its March 26, 1873,
declaration of war against Aceh, and be held accountable for
"illegally" handing over control of Aceh to the Indonesian
government at the Round Table Conference in The Hague on Dec. 27,
1949.

The rally and declaration were the climax of a gathering which
began on Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the call for
Aceh's independence.

Participants of Tuesday's rally were believed to be mostly
from Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar regency. Many carried UN flags and
banners which read "Referendum".

There were no immediate reports of clashes, and few security
personnel were seen in the area.

Dozens of students wearing their university jackets and staff
of the event organizer took to the streets to help direct
traffic.

Violence

Aceh has been wracked by continued violence, and calls for
either a referendum or independence have grown.

The Indonesian government signed a Joint Humanitarian Pause
with representatives of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
to help stop the bloodshed.

However, despite this accord the violence has continued almost
unabated.

The government also has said it wants to begin substantive
talks with GAM to find a political solution to the Aceh issue,
but has ruled out the option of independence for the territory.

Separately, the deputy chief of the Aceh Police Special
Operations, Sr. Supt. Kusbini Imbar, denied on Tuesday
allegations that security personnel had prohibited public
transportation vehicles from plying the Banda Aceh-Medan route in
North Sumatra.

"We did not ban public transportation from operating over the
past few days. There is the possibility of intimidation by
several parties to provoke transportation operators to cease
operations," he told Antara news agency.

There also have been allegations that security personnel were
responsible for the spate of violence prior to the start of the
gathering on Saturday.

The exact number of deaths since Wednesday is unknown, with
police claiming 14 people were killed, while rally organizers say
32 people were killed by security personnel during intensified
operations.

Amni bin Ahmad Marzuki, the GAM spokesman at the Joint
Committee on Security Modality, established as part of the
humanitarian pause, said on Sunday GAM representatives would not
attend a planned two-day political dialog due to begin in Geneva
on Thursday to protest the violence.

Separately in Jakarta, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen.
Saleh Saaf took an even tougher line, urging the government on
Tuesday to reconsider participating in the humanitarian pause in
Aceh.

"GAM members have killed (security) personnel during prayers
or even when they were taking their kids to school," Saleh said
at National Police Headquarters.

Saleh said that during the first three months of the
humanitarian pause, more people had been killed than in the
previous three months.

"During the second humanitarian pause, which has been going on
for two months now, twice as many people have been killed than
during the first humanitarian pause," Saleh said without
elaborating on the figures.

"GAM is a separatist (group). There should not be a separatist
movement in Indonesia, so we have to be more proactive in
quelling separatist groups," Saleh said. "There should be firm
law enforcement there."

Saleh said that since Aug. 7, 1998, at least 98 police
officers, 660 civilians and 75 military personnel had been killed
in Aceh.

Saleh also said 18 military personnel, 159 civilians and 25
police officers remained missing. (50/51/lup/jaw)