GAM intimidates the people

GAM intimidates the people

From Rakyat Merdeka

The government has adopted a new policy to settle the question of Aceh. Psychologically, the Acehnese are still gripped with fear.

When Aceh was still a military operation zone, the Acehnese, despite the victims the conflict claimed, always openly sided with the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.

As our intelligence and territorial operations are weak, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has successfully intimidated the Acehnese and forced them to side with GAM. The Indonesian Military and police have found the area a really foreign territory with foreign people not siding with them.

In short, GAM has psychologically controlled most elements of the Acehnese community. If this condition persists and the Acehnese lose their trust in the central government, the question of Aceh will become very difficult to settle.

The only way out is the government's firm stance, as can be construed from the recent statement made by the coordinating minister for political and security affairs. Of course dialog is still necessary, but a deadline should be set. Indeed, dialog is the most ethical way to solve the problem.

If possible, dialog should involve other social elements. If dialog fails, then military law should be imposed as the last resort.

WW D. COSTA

Ambon