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