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.