GAM adviser responds to VP

GAM adviser responds to VP

Your article quoting the Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, on the
CMI Helsinki peace talks aimed at securing a political settlement
to the Aceh conflict reflected some confusion over the Free Aceh
Movement's (GAM's) position.

To clarify, GAM is not proposing that it be given government
over Aceh, as suggested by Kalla. Rather, GAM is proposing that
there be local elections contested by local parties, and that it
stand in those elections. Such elections would require
modification of the existing law, which only allows national
parties or individuals to stand for election in Aceh.

On the question of "Special Autonomy" versus "Self-
Government", Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and
Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto is quite correct to note
that, reflecting the untenable status quo, the term "Special
Autonomy" carries too many negative connotations to be acceptable
to GAM.

As to the detail of the "Self Government" proposal, this will
be put forth at the Third Round of the Helsinki talks in April.

It should also be noted that there are numerous examples of
"Self Government" around the world and these have often been
found to be workable political solutions to similar types of
problems. On this, I think we all hope that a political sollution
will be agreed to, and are working to that end.

DAMIEN KINGSBURY, Adviser to the GAM Delegation, CMI Helsinki peace talks,
Melbourne, Australia