Govt braces for peace accord to begin in Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Indonesia's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva Hassan Wirajuda expressed guarded optimism on Saturday that the humanitarian pause he signed with the representative of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist group on May 12 will work as smoothly as planned.
"If all parties exercise self-restraint and are aware of the importance of the accord, I believe its implementation starting on June 2 will run smoothly," he told media here on Saturday.
Hassan, who signed the agreement on the government's behalf in Geneva, Switzerland, was in Aceh to hear the views of community leaders, students and local authorities on the accord's implementation.
His entourage included Usman Hasan, former Indonesian ambassador to Mexico and Amran Zamzami, Acehnese community figure and chairman of the independent inquiry team on human rights abuse in Aceh.
Hassan was reportedly also slated to meet with GAM leaders on Sunday.
The ambassador expressed hope that the two sides would comply with agreements in the accord, regardless of the fact that at least 28 people were killed in a series of violent confrontations in Aceh after the peace accord signing.
Hassan said once the accord takes effect on June 2, all kinds of violence should be put to a halt. But he admitted that the agreement did not recommend any sanction to be applied to parties violating the pact. There was also no agreement on troops' withdrawal.
Despite the absence of legal sanctions, if any violation of the accord could not be solved in the field, it would be brought to a joint forum in Switzerland, he said.
Jakarta and GAM had agreed to form two committees, namely a joint committee on humanitarian affairs and a joint committee on security affairs.
"Hopefully, the formation of the two teams will be completed next week, and before June 2 representatives of the government and GAM can meet in Banda Aceh," he added.
Hostage
Meanwhile, state oil and gas company Pertamina said on Sunday eight employees of Exxon Mobil (formerly Mobil Oil Indonesia) at the Pase gas field in North Aceh were taken hostage by eight armed civilians at 11 a.m. Saturday for Rp 4 billion (about US$476,000) in ransom from the company.
But the gunmen released the workers later in the day at 3.50 p.m., spokesman for Pertamina's foreign contractors management body (BPPKA) Sidick Nitikusuma told The Jakarta Post
"No injuries were reported. No money was given to the gunmen. The gunmen treat the hostages well and voluntarily released them after a negotiation with the hostages," Sidick said.
Sidick said the content of the negotiation remained unclear but the armed gang promised to return to pick up the money.
According to Sidick, the eight gunmen slipped into the gas field when the eight workers just arrived for their morning shift.
The gunmen then locked the workers up in the control room and demanded that the ransom be delivered by 3 a.m..
But, Sidick said, the hostages managed to convince the gunmen that it was impossible to meet their demand.
Spokesman for the armed wing of GAM Ismail Syahputra, denied involvement in the kidnapping. "I have checked it with our members on the ground and there has been no such abduction that they have committed," Ismail said. (50/edt/jsk)