Government talks peace while military talks war

Government talks peace while military talks war

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Some 23 countries are planning to hold a meeting in Tokyo on
Dec. 3 to discuss possible financial aid for rehabilitation and
reconstruction in Aceh, but no representatives of the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) have been invited to the talks.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto said here on Tuesday that the military would launch an
attack on GAM if it went ahead with its plan to commemorate the
anniversary of its founding on Dec. 4.

Endriartono stressed that the TNI wanted a peaceful solution
to the Aceh conflict, but if GAM insisted on an independent Aceh,
then as "we (Indonesians) are against the separation, the TNI
will crush them," Endriartono said at a breaking of the fast
gathering with journalists and high-ranking TNI officers.

The TNI chief also warned that the security forces would
continue their siege of a GAM stronghold in Cot Trieng, North
Aceh, until the rebels agreed to the peace deal scheduled for
signing on Dec. 9.

Representatives from the Indonesian government and GAM are
scheduled to meet in Geneva on Dec. 9 to sign the peace pact. GAM
backed off from an earlier plan promoted by the Indonesian
government to have the peace deal signed in early November.

Despite announcing a Ramadhan cease-fire and its stated
commitment to a non-military solution to the Aceh conflict, GAM
seems to be continuing to build up arms. The Indonesian Navy said
on Tuesday it sank two Thai ships being used to smuggle arms to
GAM.

Rear Adm. Djoko Sumaryono said as quoted by Antara that the
two ships were Thai fishing vessels believed to have been pirated
last week by members of GAM to smuggle arms into the Aceh.

The ships were flying Indonesian flags and were reportedly
pirated in the Straits of Malacca. He said that crew members held
hostage on board the vessels by the separatist rebels were
rescued, Antara reported.

"The Indonesian Navy's western fleet fired on and sank two
ships carrying smuggled arms. The ships opened fire and our fleet
had to send them to the deep," Antara quoted Navy Chief of Staff
Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh as saying.

More than 11,000 people -- mostly civilians -- have died as a
result of clashes, torture and revenge tactics in Aceh over the
past decade. Human rights groups say more than 1,200 have died
this year alone in Aceh.

Earlier on Tuesday, Coordinating Minister for Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that the 23
countries due to gather in Tokyo included members of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), ASEAN, as well as
several Western countries such as Germany, France, and Denmark.

"There will also be six Acehnese representing the province,
while the HDC will attend the meeting to represent the
aspirations of GAM," Susilo told, referring to the Swiss-based
Henry Dunant Center, which has been facilitating peace talks
between the Indonesian government and GAM for almost two years.

Asked why GAM had not been invited to the meeting, Susilo
said: "GAM does not represent an independent country, and Aceh
province is still part of Indonesia."

Susilo's remark came after a meeting at his office with 23
ambassadors to discuss several key points for the planned meeting
in Tokyo, which is being sponsored by Japan, the U.S. and the
World Bank.

"During the meeting, we also briefed the ambassadors on the
progress in Aceh, as well as the fate of the peace talks through
our facilitator, the HDC, and the agenda that we will follow
should both parties -- the government and GAM -- sign the peace
agreement in Geneva on Dec. 9," Susilo told the press.

He also explained the outline of the agreement, including a
plan to undertake post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation
in the province, but underlined that "we will continue our
operation to manage and stop the armed conflict there over the
next six months."

He did not elaborate on what such a security operation would
entail.

From 1989 to 1998, Aceh was designated a special military
operations area (DOM). During this period thousands of people,
mostly civilians, died as a result of clashes, torture and acts
of vengeance.

The conflict has also left thousands of orphans and widows who
badly need social assistance.

The government has repeatedly claimed that it has failed to
rebuild Aceh because of continuous attacks blamed on GAM.

Despite it being Indonesia's richest western province, Aceh
will likely become the second province in the country to receive
World Bank financial aid due to the prolonged armed conflict.

Previously, donors from around the world pledged US$523
million in aid to Indonesia's former province of East Timor after
pro-Jakarta militiamen went on a rampage, reportedly killing up
to 1,000 people and devastating towns, following a vote for
independence from Indonesia in August 1999.

Meanwhile, Japanese Ambassador Yutaka Iimura, who was present
at the meeting in the minister's office, said the Tokyo meeting
was expected to be the first in a series of meetings on various
issues concerning the Aceh problem.

"I think a peaceful solution is the best way for Aceh so as to
allow for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh," Iimura
said.

Iimura declined to put a figure on the total funds that might
be provided by donor countries.