Acehnese move to save peace

Acehnese move to save peace

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Some 50 Acehnese leaders are attempting to salvage the fragile
peace in the province as the government deadline for Acehnese
rebels to accept special autonomy and disarm draws near.

Ahmad Syafii Maarif, chairman of the country's second largest
Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, said over the weekend that
about 50 public figures from Aceh had requested a meeting with
President Megawati Soekarnoputri to discuss possible peaceful
solutions to the problems in Aceh.

"It is not certain (that the meeting will be) accepted but we
have sent a letter asking for a meeting with Ibu President,"
Syafii was quoted by Antara as saying on Saturday. He did not
give the names of the Acehnese leaders.

The opportunity for a peaceful solution in Aceh has been
fading fast, especially after the government issued an ultimatum
last Monday giving the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) two weeks to
accept special autonomy and to lay down its arms.

The ultimatum came just days after the government pulled out
of a Joint Council meeting to discuss violations of the Cessation
of Hostilities Agreement brokered by the Swiss-based Henry Dunant
Centre (HDC).

Under the agreement, the government and GAM agreed to end all
hostilities. GAM, which has been fighting for independence in the
resource-rich Aceh since 1976, also accepted special status for
Aceh and agreed to lay down arms in stages.

The government, for its part, promised to halt all military
operations and redeploy troops from offensive to defensive
positions. Both sides, however, have failed to live up to the
agreement.

The breakdown of the deal has put into question the HDC's
ability to facilitate the peace process in Aceh, with some
calling for some other party to take over the role of the non-
governmental organization in Aceh.

There also have been an increasing number of voices calling
for peace talks with GAM to be led by a civilian. Indonesia's
side in the talks with GAM has been led by Coordinating Minister
for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a
retired four-star Army general.

Syafii said over the weekend the 50 Acehnese leaders wanted to
discuss with Megawati various possibilities in Aceh that would
preclude the use of force to resolve the conflict in the
province.

Syafii said his involvement in seeking a meeting with the
President was a demonstration of his concern over the country's
territorial integrity, adding that the dispute with GAM was not
only a problem for Aceh but the entire country.

"Therefore, (the problems in Aceh) should be resolved wisely
by the entire Indonesian nation, including Acehnese leaders who
are clearly part of Aceh," Syafii said.

Meanwhile, analysts criticized on Sunday state officials who
have blamed the HDC for the slow pace of the peace process in
Aceh, saying such statements reflected a lack of understanding of
the HDC's role in attempting to bring peace to the troubled
province.

All of the analysts agreed that the HDC was a peace
facilitator and had never pretended to take upon its shoulders
the task of resolving the problems in Aceh.

"They do not understand the role of the HDC. Putting all the
blame on the peace facilitator is too much," rights activist
Munir told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Mawardi Ismail, a lecturer at Syahkuala University in Banda
Aceh, agreed with Munir, saying that the success of any peace
agreement between the government and GAM depended on the
commitment of the two sides signing the pact.

"It is unfair to put the blame on the HDC," Mawardi told the
Post.

Syamsuddin Haris of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
voiced a similar opinion, and suggested that state officials
recognize the hard work the non-governmental organization has
done rather than blaming it when the peace process did not go to
their liking.

The analysts were commenting on remarks by some officials,
including Vice President Hamzah Haz, People's Consultative
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and House of Representatives Deputy
Speaker A.M. Fatwa, that the HDC could not be relied upon to
resolve the Aceh issue.

Mawardi, an Acehnese intellectual, also called on the
government to empower the Aceh provincial administration to take
advantage of the relatively peaceful situation following the
signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

He said the ineffectiveness of the agreement was partly due to
a lack of initiative on the part of the local administration to
use the agreement to jump-start development and rehabilitation
programs in the province and to campaign for peace.

"We need a strong, credible and clean administration to use
this peaceful period in Aceh to build on the people's trust,"
Mawardi said.