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Aceh Referendum, the organizer of the Mass Gathering for Peace, also demanded Indonesian military forces immediately be withdrawn from Aceh, the Indonesian government be held accountable for atrocities in the area and the affairs of all sectors in Aceh be normalized.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)