Acehnese want peace and fair trials for rights abuses

Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Having lived for years in violence, Acehnese are demanding that representatives of Jakarta and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels support all attempts that could pave the way for peace during their meeting in Geneva on Dec. 9.

Acehnese need peace the most, therefore the warring factions should focus on this, an activist said.

Yusuf Ismail Pase, who chairs the Institute for Environmental and Human Rights Protection (LPL-HA) suggested on Tuesday that Jakarta refrain from any moves that could jeopardize the peace process.

"I've heard that GAM is ready to sign the agreement should Indonesia show its support for peace by not attacking GAM," Yusuf told The Jakarta Post here.

He said the government should give GAM a chance to commemorate its 26th anniversary in order to let the group reconsider its position.

"With goodwill from the government, who knows, GAM may sign the peace deal on Dec. 9," Yusuf added.

He emphasized that a peace deal between Jakarta and GAM would be acceptable and popular among Acehnese people if it accommodated their basic demands.

First, the Acehnese people demand fair trials for perpetrators of past atrocities and human rights violations.

Second, the irony of Aceh, home to rich natural resources but with 60 percent of its 4.2 million population living in poverty, needed to be addressed soon through human resources empowerment programs.

Third, the government should recognize the Acehnese people's right to self-determination through a fair and democratic election.

Jakarta has repeatedly rejected the demand for a referendum to decide the fate of Aceh, saying that any settlement of the conflict in the province would have to be within the framework of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.

As part of the effort to win the hearts of the Acehnese, Indonesia enacted a law on special autonomy for Aceh last year, which gives the province extra powers and a lucrative share of the revenues from the exploitation of natural resources.

Meanwhile, a GAM military commander, Amri Abdul Wahab, said that if the Indonesian Military (TNI) continued to pile on the pressure and disturb the 26th anniversary commemoration, GAM would withdraw from the peace talks.

Amri said that he had made preparations for the commemoration of GAM's 26th anniversary on Dec. 4, including the deployment of guerrillas to safeguard the ceremony.

From Brussels, GAM's second-in-command Zaini Abdullah told Antara that the main differences between the rebels originated from the inclusion of political issues -- including GAM's acceptance of special autonomy for Aceh -- in the peace accord, which the Aceh separatist movement essentially considered a "Cessation of Hostilities Agreement" or a cease-fire.

Separately, spokesman for the Iskandar Muda Military Command Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno said security troops would foil efforts to commemorate the GAM anniversary.

"The Iskandar Muda Military Command is only following the orders of the government, which has banned the commemoration of the GAM anniversary on Dec. 4. Since it is banned, the TNI must make sure it is not commemorated," Firdaus told the Post.

He confirmed that the number of combat troops deployed in Aceh had reached 22,000, double the number in other regional military commands.

Besides preventing any commemoration of GAM's anniversary, he said, the troops were also assigned to protect civilians from GAM terror.

Separately, state news agency Antara reported that GAM negotiators were expected to depart for Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 7.

Teuku Kamaruzzaman confirmed on Tuesday that he had been invited by the Henry Dunant Center to attend the Geneva meeting.

At the meeting, GAM will send four negotiators. The four, Kamaruzzaman, Amni bin Marzuki, Amdi bin Hamdani, and Teungku Muhammad Lampoh Awee, will depart on Dec. 7.

The final say on their departure, however, will depend on the concept and idea of the peace agreement from the perspectives of both the government and GAM. The concept of the peace agreement that is to be signed by both sides has yet to be finished.

Kamaruzzaman added that apart from the GAM negotiators, civilian leaders from Aceh would also attend the talks in Geneva.