Government warns GAM about effect of truce violation
Government warns GAM about effect of truce violation
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government warned on Sunday that
it would suspend the newly extended humanitarian pause in Aceh if
it found the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) violating the
accord during the one-month probation period.
Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab told journalists here on Sunday
that the government will evaluate the monitoring team's monthly
report to see if GAM adheres to the ground rules of the accord.
"In a month's time we will conduct an assessment to see
whether all of the requirements we demanded from GAM have been
met," Alwi said.
"If within that time they have not been fulfilled we can
always break the truce," Alwi warned.
Alwi charged that during the three-months of the accord's
implementation GAM had committed many violations by continuing to
intimidate local administration officers and even hampering the
distribution of humanitarian aid to the people.
"They have admitted these mistakes and now they just have to
accept our requirements. We will wait for the report from the
monitoring team," he added.
On Saturday, President Abdurrahman Wahid agreed to temporarily
extend the pause pending further negotiations with GAM.
A joint press statement available here on Sunday said both
sides will hold further talks in the middle of September in
Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss requirements for formally
extending the pause in the restive province.
"The requirements from both sides for phase two will be
discussed in detail at a joint forum meeting scheduled for mid-
September in Switzerland," the brief statement said.
The two sides signed the three-month humanitarian pause in
Geneva on May 12. It officially took effect on June 2.
Prior to extending the accord, which expired on Saturday, the
government said it was only willing to do so if GAM was ready to
start talking about a political solution for the province.
"We should start to see what we can agree on for the status of
Aceh. For Jakarta, Aceh is an integral part of Indonesia. We are
open to suggestions and we are going to offer special autonomy
for them," Alwi said.
He stressed that the Indonesian government will not tolerate
any talk about the status of the province outside the context of
a unitary state of Indonesia.
Meanwhile, GAM's commander in Aceh Besar Abu Tazurra welcomed
the extension of the humanitarian pause and hoped it would pave
the way for a clear political solution to the Aceh issue.
"We need to extend the pause not only in terms of the period
but also in substance in an effort to reach a political
resolution," Abu Tazurra said on Sunday from Banda Aceh.
But it is unclear whether GAM negotiators are willing to enter
discussion on any other alternatives than a separation from
Indonesia, which has been the main call to arms of the separatist
group.
As talks continued, Aceh was again beset by more tragedy as
two 19-year-old girls were abducted on Saturday.
Sri Astuti and Yuyun Eka Susanti, both residents of Padang
Tiji in Pidie, were last seen visiting a police subprecinct in
the Batee area with two of their friends before being abducted on
their way home while riding a motorbike.
The two other girls who escaped the kidnapping, Marlina and
Arimah, said two gunmen intercepted them about one kilometer from
the police subprecinct.
Sri Astuti is a daughter of a policeman, Pidie Police chief
Supt. Endang Emiqail Bagus said.
"The four girls were riding on two motorbikes when the
incident took place at around 4 p.m. The last two girls managed
to flee and report it to us but by the time we got there it was
already too late. Sri and Yuyun were already missing," he
explained.
"We plead for the abductors to return the girls soon. If
they're not back by Monday, we'll deploy a massive amount of
troops to search for them," Endang appealed while adding that
"this was probably initiated by GAM".(dja/50/51/edt)