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)