GAM talks focus on separate elections
<p>GAM talks focus on separate elections</p><p>Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) delegates to
informal talks in Helsinki began on Wednesday with a discussion
on regional elections as part of the peace process in the
province.</p><p>"They (the members of the GAM delegation) wonder whether the
direct elections to select regional administration heads -- to
elect a governor, regents, mayors or village chiefs in Aceh --
can pave the way for democratization in Aceh," Hamid Awaluddin.
who is also Minister for Justice and Human Rights, told a press
conference aired by Elshinta private radio station.</p><p>Hamid was referring to Law No. 32/2004 on regional
governments.</p><p>The direct election of local administration heads, which will
take place for the first time in June, is aimed at promoting
democracy. The regional election follows the landmark direct
presidential election last year.</p><p>Separately, GAM spokesman Bachtiar Abdullah said the two
parties would no longer talk about special autonomy for Aceh nor
independence, but about whether "it is possible to promote a
truly democratic administration for Aceh."</p><p>Bachtiar said such a democratic administration required the
participation of all Acehnese people.</p><p>"On the first day of the meeting, we agreed not to give any
title to that democratic administration, as it won't refer to the
special autonomy concept proposed by Indonesia nor to a self-
governing concept proposed by us (GAM)," Bachtiar told The
Jakarta Post from Helsinki.</p><p>While full independence is not on the table, GAM insists that
sovereignty remains their ultimate goal.</p><p>"Independence is still not on the table, since there would be
no negotiations if it was, but this does not mean that we will
stop our main struggle, which is for independence," Bakhtiar
said.</p><p>The fresh peace negotiations, which were driven forth by the
need for international aid to reach the tsunami-struck Aceh
province, are scheduled to last six days and, like the first two
rounds in January and February, are being mediated by former
Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari's Crisis Management Initiative
(CMI).</p><p>When the two delegations met for the first round of talks in
January it was the first time they stood face-to-face since May
2003, when the government imposed martial law in the province and
launched a major military offensive against the rebels. Foreign
press and aid workers were banned from the province since then.</p><p>Bakhtiar further said the two sides would only discuss certain
points which would be operational in the field, including the
release of GAM negotiation teams, who are currently serving
prison terms for treason, and the withdrawal of 50,000 Indonesian
Military (TNI) troops from Aceh.</p><p>Violence continues in the field despite the peace talks. TNI
soldiers shot dead a local rebel chief in Blang Pidie area. The
local commander, Miswar alias Siwai, was shot dead along with one
of his men in an armed clash on Tuesday, AFP reported.</p><p>GAM has been fighting for an independent state in the western
Indonesian province rich in natural resources since 1976. Rights
activists have estimated that no less than 12,000 people, mostly
civilians, have been killed since then.</p><p>Rights groups accuse both the government and GAM of abuses.</p>
informal talks in Helsinki began on Wednesday with a discussion
on regional elections as part of the peace process in the
province.</p><p>"They (the members of the GAM delegation) wonder whether the
direct elections to select regional administration heads -- to
elect a governor, regents, mayors or village chiefs in Aceh --
can pave the way for democratization in Aceh," Hamid Awaluddin.
who is also Minister for Justice and Human Rights, told a press
conference aired by Elshinta private radio station.</p><p>Hamid was referring to Law No. 32/2004 on regional
governments.</p><p>The direct election of local administration heads, which will
take place for the first time in June, is aimed at promoting
democracy. The regional election follows the landmark direct
presidential election last year.</p><p>Separately, GAM spokesman Bachtiar Abdullah said the two
parties would no longer talk about special autonomy for Aceh nor
independence, but about whether "it is possible to promote a
truly democratic administration for Aceh."</p><p>Bachtiar said such a democratic administration required the
participation of all Acehnese people.</p><p>"On the first day of the meeting, we agreed not to give any
title to that democratic administration, as it won't refer to the
special autonomy concept proposed by Indonesia nor to a self-
governing concept proposed by us (GAM)," Bachtiar told The
Jakarta Post from Helsinki.</p><p>While full independence is not on the table, GAM insists that
sovereignty remains their ultimate goal.</p><p>"Independence is still not on the table, since there would be
no negotiations if it was, but this does not mean that we will
stop our main struggle, which is for independence," Bakhtiar
said.</p><p>The fresh peace negotiations, which were driven forth by the
need for international aid to reach the tsunami-struck Aceh
province, are scheduled to last six days and, like the first two
rounds in January and February, are being mediated by former
Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari's Crisis Management Initiative
(CMI).</p><p>When the two delegations met for the first round of talks in
January it was the first time they stood face-to-face since May
2003, when the government imposed martial law in the province and
launched a major military offensive against the rebels. Foreign
press and aid workers were banned from the province since then.</p><p>Bakhtiar further said the two sides would only discuss certain
points which would be operational in the field, including the
release of GAM negotiation teams, who are currently serving
prison terms for treason, and the withdrawal of 50,000 Indonesian
Military (TNI) troops from Aceh.</p><p>Violence continues in the field despite the peace talks. TNI
soldiers shot dead a local rebel chief in Blang Pidie area. The
local commander, Miswar alias Siwai, was shot dead along with one
of his men in an armed clash on Tuesday, AFP reported.</p><p>GAM has been fighting for an independent state in the western
Indonesian province rich in natural resources since 1976. Rights
activists have estimated that no less than 12,000 people, mostly
civilians, have been killed since then.</p><p>Rights groups accuse both the government and GAM of abuses.</p>