Government to continue dialog with Aceh rebels

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government is set to continue dialog with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels in Switzerland amid continuing violence in Aceh on Wednesday which killed five people and injured scores of others.

The talks took place following the signing of a new pact last Saturday, an agreement which is expected to help reduce violence between both parties in Aceh.

Director General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nur Hassan Wirajuda will fly to Switzerland for discussions late on Wednesday and meet representatives of Hassan Tiro, the leader of the separatist movement.

"I will leave this afternoon for talks with GAM. I will meet their representatives tomorrow," Hassan said on the sidelines of a hearing between Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab and the House of Representatives Commission I on Security, Defense and Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

Hassan, who is Indonesia's top negotiator with Aceh, earlier said that the three-day meeting in Switzerland was initially scheduled on Monday.

"The meeting will review the results of the new pact and to push for further substantial dialog between the two parties. The main point is that we have reached agreement to reduce violence," he said.

Both Indonesian and GAM envoy announced on Saturday a new four-point code of conduct to reduce violence in Aceh that would take effect for 10 days starting Feb. 11.

Under the pact, both sides have agreed to halt violence that would cause loss of life and livelihood, stop physical attacks, kidnappings, torture, arson, intimidation, bombings, illegal arrests, harassment and ambushes.

The new agreement, however, is not likely to reduce violence in the disputed province.

In North Aceh, joint military-police patrolling officers were involved in a gunfight on Wednesday after they were intercepted by GAM rebels, spokesman of North Aceh Police Adj. Comr. Abdi Darmawan said.

Six people, including a security officer, sustained gunshot injuries, and two of them later died. The two, identified as Mariyani, 30, and her eight-month old baby died due to severe bleeding.

"The incident took place in Matang Mane village, Tanah Jambo Aye around 7:15 a.m. local time when officers on patrol were ambushed by GAM rebels," Abdi Darmawan said.

Later in the day, rebels also attacked Bayu Police subprecinct and Tanah Jambo Aue military subdistrict, but no casualties were reported, officer Abdi said.

"This is a direct violation of the new pact. How are we supposed to stop violence if rebels continue ambushing troops?" he said.

Meanwhile, three bodies were recovered in Aceh Besar regency on Monday.

An unidentified body, badly decomposed, was picked up from Unjon Batee in Aceh Besar regency. The other two corpses were found in a gunnysack in the Krueng Cut river, six kilometers north of the capital Banda Aceh, Sr. Comr. Kusbini Imbar said on Tuesday.

The two were identified as Rusydi Umar, 39, a former civil servant, and Khalidin, 37, a fish merchant.

"Both fatalities were found with torture wounds," Kusbini said.

Residents in Panggoi village, North Aceh said three women were shot repeatedly in their homes by a man -- identified by police as a member of GAM -- with a pistol overnight on Monday.

"The victims, a mother, her daughter and a neighbor, were in critical condition," North Aceh police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Wanto Sumardi said.

But the police claim was rejected by GAM who said that the gunman was armed by security forces.

Separately in Pidie, an officer from the elite police squad Brimob, First Adj. Brig. Zapolin Saragih, died in hospital from controversial causes.

An eyewitness said the officer was holding a gun when a bullet hit his head, but Pidie Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Heru Budi Ersanto, said he had slipped and hit his head. (50/dja/edt)