Former minister urges govt not to respond rashly on Aceh

Former minister urges govt not to respond rashly on Aceh

JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of human rights affairs
Hasballah M. Saad urged the government here on Thursday not to
respond rashly to a recent seven-point declaration which called
for recognition of Aceh's sovereignty as a separate nation.

Hasballah said whatever the government's response to calls in
Aceh for a referendum, it must act soon based on sound and
thorough deliberation.

"If the government answers 'no', this should not only be
voiced by one minister. It must be a Cabinet decision which has
been reached after consulting the House of Representatives. And
then there also has to be a solution," he said.

Commenting on the declaration issued by the Information Center
for an Aceh Referendum, Hasballah said the declaration was not
new, with much of its substance having been expressed by Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) leader Hasan Tiro in 1976.

Hasballah also said the Acehnese had often been "deceived" by
the government, leaving them with a deep resentment.

"Bung Karno pledged to let the Acehnese enact Islamic law, but
this never materialized. Soeharto also spread his sweet
promises," he said.

Separately, Minister of Defense Mahfud MD asserted that the
government would not tolerate moves to hold a referendum in Aceh,
and rejected foreign intervention in the territory.

Speaking following a meeting with Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri at her residence here on Thursday, Mahfud also
dismissed suggestions that troops be withdrawn from the province.

"If military troops and police are withdrawn from the
province, the situation will get worse. Who will take
responsibility for security?" he asked.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf said in a
statement that the activities of separatist rebels in Aceh had
seen a marked increase recently.

These activities, he claimed, included ambushes, kidnappings
and other attacks.

He said that on Tuesday armed rebels attacked a Mobile Brigade
police post in Puwodadi village, West Aceh, resulting in several
adjacent homes being damaged.

And on Wednesday, two men, a civil servant and a soldier, were
kidnapped in Banda Aceh and Pidie, respectively, he asserted.

The fate of these men is still unknown. (01/02/50/lup/jaw)