Govt backpedals, agrees to Aceh talks soon

Govt backpedals, agrees to Aceh talks soon

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After throwing down the gauntlet, the Indonesian government
announced on Wednesday it would resume talks with Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) separatist rebels next month.

"We expect to have another round of talks in September,
perhaps not official ones, but we will continue to pave the way
for a peaceful settlement," Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after a
meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Susilo said the government's intention was to return to the
negotiating table and avoid unnecessary violence.

"But this should not be seen as the government softening its
stance. We still hope for a more effective and clear dialog with
GAM," he said.

The statement came just hours after the five Indonesian
"wisemen" concerned with Aceh met the president and convinced her
that increasing security would not solve the Aceh problem.

The group of five, comprising former foreign minister Ali
Alatas, Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Ma'arif, former home
minister Soerjadi Soedirdja, former Indonesian Ulemas Council
chairman Ali Yafie and Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid, urged
the government to exercise patience and stick to peace talks.

Last week Jakarta issued a stringent policy for Aceh, giving
GAM until the end of this year to choose between accepting its
special autonomy status for the natural resource-rich province as
the basis of a dialog or facing an all-out military crackdown.

Jakarta last held talks with GAM in Geneva in May, resulting
in an agreement to reduce violence and to accept the autonomy
status for Aceh. But as the hostility continued GAM reinstated
its demand for independence, which halted talks scheduled for
July.

Sources have told The Jakarta Post that the December deadline
was announced to fulfill demands by the Indonesian Military (TNI)
who are pushing for the imposition of martial law in the
province.

The group of five also asked the government to ensure the law
was enforced and to continue with economic development in Aceh.

"What we are saying is violence will not resolve anything in
Aceh and we need to intensify the rehabilitation program for the
people," Syafii said.

Syafii further urged Jakarta to boost the performance of the
local administration in Aceh, which he said was ineffective and
was hampering development in the province.

Earlier in the day, the government asked Sweden to make GAM's
chief in exile Hasan Tiro stop his rebel movement which
threatened Indonesia's sovereignty, and to help find the best
solution to the Aceh conflict instead.

"Indonesia has asked Sweden as a friendly country to persuade
GAM leader Hasan Tiro and company not to stage a rebellion
anymore," foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda said.

Sweden has so far supported Indonesia's national integrity and
the special autonomy for Aceh and Papua. Hasan Tiro arrived in
Sweden in 1979 and has been a Swedish citizen for years.