GAM wants talks to be postponed

GAM wants talks to be postponed

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is asking the Indonesian government
to postpone indefinitely a meeting planned for Feb. 2 and Feb. 3
in Geneva, Switzerland to give the insurgents sufficient time to
adjust to the killing of military Commander Tengku Abdullah
Syafi'ie last Tuesday.

Former GAM negotiator Tengku Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba said in Banda
Aceh, the provincial capital of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
province, on Saturday that the secessionist movement needed to
make certain adjustments after the transfer of authority in its
military wing.

Sofyan did not mention how long the movement wanted to delay
the peace talks.

Last week, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said
the talks would be aimed at discovering whether the separatist
group would accept fully the special autonomy status now in
effect in Aceh.

Indonesia's delegation head for the dialog Wiryono
Sastrohandoyo, who is also the country's former Ambassador to
Australia, was unavailable on Sunday to comment on GAM's request.

Syafi'ie, his wife Fatimah and five bodyguards were shot dead
in a gunfight with the Indonesian Military in the separatist
stronghold Cubo, in Pidie regency last Tuesday. Syafi'ie's deputy
Muzakkir Manaf has been appointed as the new GAM military
commander.

Sofyan, who is currently under city arrest in Banda Aceh, said
the delay was also due to persisting violence exercised by the
Indonesian military towards GAM members, thus reflecting
Indonesia's unclear stance on how to resolve the Aceh question.

"The dialog should be postponed until the Indonesian
government has a clear stance on how to resolve conflicts in
Aceh, whether it wants peace talks or violence," Sofyan was
quoted by Antara as saying.

Alluding to peace talks initiated by Aceh Governor Abdullah
Puteh, Sofyan stressed that GAM would only deal with
representatives of the Indonesian government and not with
officials at the provincial level.

Days before Syafi'ie was killed, Governor Abdullah Puteh sent
a letter inviting the former military commander to peace talks in
the provincial capital.

GAM activists accused the governor of conspiring with the
military to kill Syafi'ie by attaching a tracking device in the
invitation letter. Governor Abdullah denied the allegation.

Sofyan said Syafi'ie's death would not hinder the group's will
to fight for independence.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri flatly rejected independence
for Aceh and ordered a crackdown shortly after assuming office in
July.

The rebel movement was launched in 1975 after years of
military abuses in the region. Since then, thousands of people
have been killed, including at least 1,400 last year and about
100 in the first weeks of this year.

After the killing of Syafei'ie, legislators in the House of
Representatives urged the government to intensify talks with the
secessionist movement in order to avoid more bloodshed in the
province.

They, however, emphasized that secessionist movements should
be dealt with by military means.

Previous GAM-RI Dialogs

May 12, 2000 (Geneva): Three months Humanitarian Pause
(Extended for 3 months in September)

Jan 6, 2001 (Geneva): One month moratorium on violence

July 2, 2001 (Geneva): Agree to settle the Aceh question
through dialog

July 21,2001 (Aceh): Six GAM negotiators detained for
and accused of subversion