Government to call GAM to meeting table again
Government to call GAM to meeting table again
JAKARTA (JP): Efforts to settle problems in the strife-torn
province of Aceh took a new turn when the government revealed on
Wednesday a plan to invite the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to the
meeting table for talks.
"The government is preparing to make a maklumat (announcement)
to invite armed rebels to join their Acehnese brothers for
discussions with us, as part of efforts to find a peaceful
solution to Aceh's problems.
"We also urge them to consider the government's policy to
develop regional autonomy, as well as other beneficial policies
in the future," Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters on the
sidelines of a discussion on the political and security situation
in Indonesia, held by the International Council on World Affairs
(ICWA).
Regional autonomy is one of six issues on the agenda prepared
by the government to settle Aceh's problems. Others are based
upon the economy, social programs, law and order, the restoration
of security, and the dissemination of information.
"Their struggle for independence from the Unitary State of the
Republic of Indonesia is a waste of effort as there is no country
in the world that supports their armed separatist movement in
Aceh," Susilo said.
He said the government will never impose a military operation
in Aceh.
"Presidential decree (Inpres) No. 14/2001 on efforts to
restore law and order in Aceh is quite clear in stating that
there is no such intention to undertake military operations in
Aceh. The presence of the Indonesian Military (TNI) there is only
to assist the police," Susilo said.
The government's invitation to GAM for a dialog came amid the
eagerness of some high-ranking military officers to quell armed
rebels in Aceh.
The Army's Special Force (Kopassus) chief Maj. Gen. Amirul
Isnaeni said on Monday that the force was ready to dispatch its
troops to the troubled Aceh province in an effort to suppress
rebels.
Susilo also said that the government would grant amnesty to
any GAM members who surrendered voluntarily.
Separately, in Ciampea, Bogor, Army Chief of Staff Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto said the Army would dispatch six companies of
soldiers to Aceh next week, as part of efforts to restore
security there.
"The troops will be dispatched from the Kopassus Education
Center in Batujajar (Bandung, West Java) on Friday by the TNI
chief," Endriartono said as quoted by Koridor.com.
In Batujajar, Kopassus has been providing training on
guerrilla warfare for about 15 companies of the Army's infantry
troops, namely the Rajawali (Hawk) II Team.
Returning to Aceh, more and more people in the province suffer
from serious mental illness due to the endless conflict.
"We have been receiving an average of between 50 and 65
patients a day over the past few months," Director of Banda Aceh
Mental Hospital Dr. M. Idris Ibrahim said as quoted by Antara.
He told visiting Aceh councillors from Commission E on social
welfare affairs that there are 219 patients in the hospital which
only has a capacity of 180 beds.
"Most patients come from areas which are prone to conflict and
more than 20 percent of them are women," Idris said.
In the latest development, at least seven people were killed
during a series of violent incidents in Aceh, both officials and
a report stated on Wednesday.
In East Aceh, a man and his five-year-old daughter were killed
during the security forces' pursuit of GAM rebels in Aluee Ateung
village, Nurussalam district on Tuesday morning, spokesman of the
police's Cinta Meunasah II Comr. Sudarsono told The Jakarta Post
by phone from Banda Aceh.
Three other civilians were injured in the incident.
Reports, however, said that the residents were standing near
an elementary school in the village when a group from the Police
Mobile Brigade (Brimob) fired shots in the air, which ended up
hitting civilians.
Also in East Aceh, a man was killed on Tuesday morning
following a police patrol conducted in Sriget Langsa village.
Two other male bodies with gunshot wounds were also found
separately in East Aceh.
In Cangguek village of Tanah Pasir district, North Aceh,
First. Sgt. Ali Imran, who sustained stab wounds to the head by
two suspected GAM rebels, shot dead one of his assailants on
Tuesday.
In Pidie regency, a civilian was shot dead amid crossfire
between a joint police-military convoy and suspected GAM rebels
who ambushed the convoy in Blang Awe village on Tuesday.
Nearly 400 people have been killed in Aceh this year despite
a series of shaky truces between the government and GAM rebels.
(02/50/edt/emf)