Govt, GAM at odds over monitoring team in Aceh
Nani Farida and Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Banda Aceh
The separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) insisted on Tuesday that the government must set up an international monitoring committee to supervise the implementation of a cease-fire between the government and GAM, but Jakarta commentators said they hoped the committee would consist of credible local people.
"We have been hoping for long time that there would be a monitoring team, particularly as regards members from overseas to ensure its independence. We doubt it would be independent if the members were locals," GAM spokesman Sofyan Dawood told the Jakarta Post.
When asked about the duties of the monitoring committee, he said: "This can be decided at the next meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. But the most important thing is that the committee must be international."
Representatives of the government and GAM will sit down for peace talks in Geneva early this month in an effort to end the violence raging in the territory.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda announced on Monday a plan to establish an independent monitoring committee to supervise the implementation of the cease-fire in Aceh.
He said the monitoring committee would emulate a similar committee established in the Moro territories in the Southern Philippines to supervise the implementation of a cease-fire between Philippine troops and the Moro National Liberation Front rebel group.
But the government has yet to decide whether or not to allow foreigners to sit on the planned monitoring committee.
Syamsuddin Haris of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) supported the establishment of an independent monitoring committee, but said foreigners should not sit on the committee so as to avoid any foreign intervention in domestic affairs.
"The inclusion of foreigners will not benefit the government's efforts to embrace GAM. It would be better to include independent local parties," he told the Post.
Syamsuddin said that the committee must include independent Acehnese leaders with high integrity as members.
The other members could be taken from the House of Representatives to represent the Indonesian people, and from academic circles and the non-governmental organizations that are involved with Aceh, he added.
"Principally, the committee must be able to carry out its duties free from all intervention and threats from the military or GAM," he said.
It also had to be able to assess and monitor the implementation of the cease-fire and provide forceful input for President Megawati Soekarnoputri in arriving at a comprehensive solution for Aceh, Syamsuddin said.
In addition, it should have the authority to investigate and prosecute anyone violating the cease-fire agreement, he added.
Nasir Djamil, a councillor in the Aceh Provincial Legislative Council, also welcomed the planned establishment of a monitoring committee, but warned that the committee would have a hard time doing its work in Aceh.
"Thus, we need a strong and credible team that has the determination to press GAM and the military to observe the agreement," he said.
Nasir said the committee must possess the authority to impose sanctions on any party that breached the cease-fire.
He hoped that the Henry Dunant Center (HDC), which has brokered the peace talks, would help monitor the implementation of the cease-fire.