Government to continue dialog with Aceh rebels

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)