GAM's strike call gets no response from big companies

GAM's strike call gets no response from big companies

Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The second day of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)'s call for a
province-wide strike has gained little response from the Acehnese
people. Giant companies such as ExxonMobil, PT Arun, PT Pupuk
Iskandar Muda and PT ASEAN Fertilizer, all in North Aceh,
continued to operate on Thursday.

Maimun Habsyah, spokesman for state-owned fertilizer company
Pupuk Iskandar Muda, confirmed that the call for a total strike
had no influence on the factory's daily activities.

"The strike call has had no effect on our daily operation and
everything is proceeding normally," he told The Jakarta Post by
telephone here on Thursday.

Razali A. Jalil, secretary of ASEAN Fertilizer's labor union,
concurred saying no company workers were absent over the last two
days and there was no halt in the company's operation.

Both the fertilizer companies located in Lhokseumawe resumed
operations last December after regaining supplies of liquefied
gas from ExxonMobil in Lhoksukon.

ExxonMobil, an American oil and gas company, was forced to
halt operation in March 2001 for security reasons but resumed
again on July 19, 2001.

Company' workers praised the tight security in the companies,
allowing them to feel secure while at work.

On the second day of the strike, schools were closed but more
public transportation vehicles could be seen on the main roads in
Banda Aceh, Sigli and Lhokseumawe. Many civil servants went to
work but no members of the public came to the government offices.

The condition in the urban areas of Aceh Besar, North Aceh and
East Aceh, three regencies which have been GAM strongholds,
remained tense as rebels used hit-and-run tactics against
security personnel who were patrolling the villages.

At least four rebels were killed in separate exchanges of
gunfire with security personnel in Aceh Besar and North Aceh on
Thursday.

Chief of the military operation in Aceh Brig. Gen. Djali Jusuf
said that 11 rebels were arrested and military personnel seized
four guns and several hand grenades in Darussalam.

He said the strike only gained a limited response from the
local people in Banda Aceh, Sigli and Lhokseumawe where life went
on as usual.

Vice President Hamzah Haz who visited Aceh Singkil on Thursday
said the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) which had launched a rebellion
against the government for years to fight for the province's
independence would never be able to realize its dream.

"Locals should not be influenced by GAM's dream of
establishing an independent state since everything they are
demanding has been met by the government," he said at the opening
of an international seminar on Islam in Singkil, Aceh Singkil
regency.

The Vice President called on rebels to end their rebellion,
lay down their arms and come out of the forest to resume their
normal life to help develop the province that has been given
wide-ranging authority under its special autonomy status.

Meanwhile, GAM spokesman Tengku Sofyan Dawood said GAM was
satisfied with the positive response given by the Acehnese people
to its call for a three-day total strike.

"Under serious threat from the military, most people have
shown a positive response to GAM's call," he said in a press
release here on Thursday.

He said security authorities should respect the people's right
to strike and should not intimidate teachers and bus owners and
drivers into continuing with their daily activities.