Alwi pours cold water on Aceh plan
JAKARTA (JP): Foreign minister Alwi Shihab has poured cold water on rising expectations of the signing of an accord between Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) next week, saying it was neither a peace agreement nor a cease-fire.
Seemingly playing down the latest development, Alwi said on Friday the memorandum of understanding to be signed in Geneva next week was not a political settlement to the Aceh problem, but was designed to reduce violence in the restive province.
"What we are going to sign is a joint understanding for a humanitarian pause. To create peaceful conditions to support the daily activities of the Acehnese," he told journalists.
"Don't take the issue as a political issue, this is not an agreement. This is a note of understanding and there is no cease- fire," he stressed.
Alwi also underlined that the government's involvement with the memorandum was not a formal recognition of GAM as a state entity.
"We acknowledge GAM as one force present in Aceh that has been disturbing stability in the province and stopping the Acehnese from living normally," he said, adding that the government was always willing to cooperate with all parties to achieve peace in Aceh.
The note's implementation will involve both parties forming two committees in the province to execute the accords. A joint forum will also be set up in Geneva to take follow-up action.
One committees will focus on the transfer of humanitarian aid in the province. The second one will focus on reducing the level of violence.
"There also will be a monitoring team, consisting of the Indonesian government and Hassan Tiro's group," Alwi added, referring to the self-exiled GAM leader.
Alwi is scheduled to personally witness the signing of the note, which will be inked by Indonesia's permanent representative to the United Nations' office in Geneva, Hasan Wirayuda and GAM's health minister Zaini Abdullah.
The foreign ministry's director of international organizations Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat said the note of understanding was valid for three-months and open for further review.
"After the signing, we will have three weeks of preparation and three months after that we will review the note, and decide whether to extend it or to postpone it," Sudjadnan, who is the officer in charge of the note of understanding, said.
However, Sudjadnan declined to give details of the committee's tasks and responsibilities.
"The written note of understanding will be distributed to the public soon after the signing," he said, adding that the signing would be the fourth round of meetings between GAM and the government in Geneva.
Hassan Tiro, who has lived in Sweden since 1979, is said to have kept a watchful eye on all three meetings.
"He did not attend the dialogs himself but he was always present in the building next to the meeting's venue," Sudjadnan said.
Separately, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto expressed hope the note of understanding would help reduce casualties and end suffering in the province.
Peace
Meanwhile President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was in Bali on Friday, stressed that the territorial integrity of Indonesia was of primary importance in any solution to Aceh.
He also said any solution should be sought peacefully.
"Why peacefully? Because in the past some of our people have tortured Acehnese ... That's why we have to correct and investigate past mistakes," the President said.
He frankly admitted that the violence that had occurred in the province should not be solely blamed on GAM, saying some former Indonesian military members were also involved.
"They were trained by the state and given weapons, but their actions have been despicable. They have to be hunted and punished," Abdurrahman asserted.
Meanwhile international law lecturer at Atmajaya Catholic University in Yogyakarta, Endro Susilo, told The Jakarta Post that the signing would have no impact on international recognition of GAM.
"Even though our permanent representative signs the note, this will not lead to international recognition of GAM as a state entity," Endro said.
He argued that with the signing of the note, Indonesia merely concedes the existence of GAM as limited to the aspects mentioned in the agreement.
"We can see this as an internal settlement by Indonesia," he added.
"We cannot call the agreement a cease-fire because there are no warring parties there," he said adding that GAM was still very far away from having the prerequisites that it required to enjoy international recognition as the representatives of a separate country to Indonesia.(dja)