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