Acehnese pray for peace as hopes fade for conflict to end

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Hundreds of Acehnese people held a mass prayer at the Baiturrahman Mosque in Banda Aceh on Sunday to pray that the Indonesia-Free Aceh Movement (GAM) peace talks, scheduled for Dec. 9, 2002, would end the 26-year bloody conflict.

Meanwhile, delegations from both sides are heading to Switzerland with hopes fading that the peace accord, proposed by the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC), which has facilitated the dialog since 2000, would be signed during the meeting.

Muntasir Hamid, chairman of the Banda Aceh society organizing the mass gathering, said the prayer was held to show all, including the two opposing warring sides, that the Acehnese people were tired with the conflict and wanted peace.

"The conflict, which has brought suffering to tens of thousands of Acehnese for more than two decades, must be stopped and we are here to pray for the peace talks that will resume on Monday," he said.

The last meeting between the two conflicting sides was held on May 9 through May 10, 2002, with GAM accepting special autonomy as a starting point to seek a comprehensive solution to the Aceh issue.

Chairman of the local ulemas' association (MPU) Muslim Ibrahim said what people really wanted was just peace and were not concerned which side would rule in Aceh.

"What we do need is not GAM nor the government but a referendum to determine the future of the province. Now is a good time for the Acehnese people to determine their own future," he said, adding that peace talks scheduled for Monday were much needed to end hostilities and to pave the way for further talks to solve the Aceh issue comprehensively.

Four GAM negotiators -- Teungku Amni Bin Ahmad Marzuki, Teuku Kamaruzzaman, Teungku Muhammad Lampoh Awe and Teungku Amdi -- departed for Geneva after attending Idul Fitri prayers on Friday, while Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led the Indonesian delegation to the peace talks.

Hassan Tiro, GAM leader in exile, was reported to be leading the GAM delegation at the meeting.

Acehnese figures and politicians have hailed the planned peace talks as a fundamental cornerstone to promote a reconciliation in the oil- and gas-rich province. They called for the trial of human rights abusers in the past, the eradication of poverty and the rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged during the war.

Indonesia, especially the military, has stepped up pressure on GAM to sign the proposed peace accord. Besides besieging GAM's hiding place in Cot Trieng, North Aceh, the military has threatened to go all out in the battle to quell the rebellion should GAM decline to sign the peace deal.

Kamaruzzaman lashed out at the military's posturing, saying the peace accord would only be signed if the meeting proceeded in a democratic fashion.

"We will not bow to military pressure to accept the peace accord should it not benefit the Acehnese people's interests," he said.

He added GAM would continue to fight changes in the proposed accord requiring GAM to lay down its arms unreservedly, but would accept special autonomy status in Aceh.

"To make the truce effective, both sides should lay down their arms and should go to the negotiating table to seek a comprehensive solution," he said.

Human rights activist from the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) Faisal Ridha said there would no longer be a problem in the future if both sides were allowed to keep their arms. "Of utmost importance is that security officers are punished should they use arms without permission from their own commanders or institutions."