GAM gets invitation to meet Gus Dur

GAM gets invitation to meet Gus Dur

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): The government remains ready to pencil
in the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in a dialog with President
Abdurrahman Wahid during his brief visit here today despite the
fact that there has been no reply from the separatist group.

Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh on Monday claimed that an
invitation had been extended to GAM "to attend individually a
dialog with Gus Dur."

Puteh said GAM leaders were invited as "they also form part of
Acehnese society."

"However, until now, we have received no confirmation of their
attendance from them," he said. "But the important thing is that
we have officially extended the invitation."

The President is to make a lightning two-hour stop in the Aceh
provincial capital during which he will be flown by a military
helicopter from the Sultan Iskandar Muda airport to the downtown
Baiturrahman grand mosque.

Puteh, however, played down speculation that security concerns
were behind the arrangement.

"We are going to do this because the President will only have
a very limited time here," he said.

"Instead of taking a 30-minute drive, the flight from the
airport will only take about five minutes," he added.

A special landing pad has already been prepared at the
heavily-guarded Blang Padang soccer field, a five-minute walk
from the mosque.

Activists and GAM members last week warned of turmoil and even
a possible assassination attempt during the presidential visit.

Among the ministers who will also be present here are
Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, foreign minister Alwi Shihab, home
affairs minister Soerjadi Soedirdja and religious affairs
minister Tolchah Hasan.

At least 16 ambassadors from the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) countries would also be in the presidential
entourage, Abdullah said.

Abdullah said the main purpose of Abdurrahman's visit would be
to mark the day of revelation of the Koran.

Abdullah further revealed that Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri was due to arrive in Sabang, Weh island, later this
week to inaugurate its new seaport.

Aside from the tight security preparations being made in and
around Banda Aceh, several top security officials also departed
for the province on Monday.

Prior to leaving, Susilo told journalists in Jakarta that so
far no dialog had been scheduled.

"But if they want to we could fit it into the President's
agenda," Susilo remarked.

Susilo, together with Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm.
Widodo A.S and National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro left
for Aceh on Monday morning.

"I have been informed by the TNI chief about the security
preparations taken by our forces there, both the police and
military, in order to make the visit secure and successful," he
added.

Susilo also appealed to all sides to respect the fasting month
by avoiding disturbances during the visit.

"Gus Dur comes to the province to fulfill the Acehnese
invitation for him to attend the commemoration of the Nuzulul
Qur'an. Please respect this holy event," Susilo remarked.

Separately in Jakarta, TNI Territorial Affairs chief Lt. Gen.
Agus Widjojo denied reports that the 2,000 TNI personnel
dispatched to the province last week were there to secure the
President's visit.

"It's purely a humanitarian mission," Agus claimed.

He further contended that the soldiers were armed for safety
reasons so that they could carry out their "civic mission" in
certain areas where rebels were known to operate with impunity.

"We know that some regions in Aceh which were hit by the
floods are also areas where GAM operates. If our personnel are
not armed, how can they work safely there?" Agus said while
brushing aside suggestions that it was part of another military
operation.

"Two thousand men is too few to conduct a military operation,"
Agus said.

Meanwhile in Banda Aceh itself on Monday there seemed to be a
sense of skepticism and pessimism about the presidential visit.

Tarmizi, a human rights activist from the Aceh chapter of the
Indonesian Legal Aid Institute, said the presidential visit would
be worthless if the violence and rights abuses persisted.

"There has been false information given to the palace (central
government) that the only thing the Acehnese want is Islamic
shariah law," he said referring to earlier reports that the
President would officially declare the imposition of Islamic law
in the province. (02/byg)