Govt, GAM at odds over monitoring team in Aceh

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.