Govt, GAM invited to return to negotiation table

Govt, GAM invited to return to negotiation table

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government's stated intention of settling the Aceh conflict
through peaceful means is facing a litmus test after the
Switzerland-based Henry Dunant Centre (HDC) invited the
government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to return to the
negotiating table.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that the government
had received an invitation from HDC, but he refused to say
whether the government would accept.

GAM spokesman Bachtiar Abdullah said on Wednesday that GAM had
agreed to attend the dialog in Switzerland.

HDC has been brokering the peace talks since 2000.

"Basically, the government is serious about opening the way
for dialog and there is no deadline," Susilo said.

In a new policy announced on Monday by Susilo himself, the
government had given GAM a December deadline to accept its offer
for a special autonomy for Aceh as the prerequisite for any
further talks. A failure to meet the deadline would mean Aceh
would have to face the full brunt of the military's might, he
said.

The policy, however, has been roundly criticized by noted
religious leaders and non-governmental organizations, arguing
that military operations would not resolve the conflict there.

"A military approach will not solve the complicated problem,
unless we plan to destroy the whole territory," Muhammadiyah
Chairman Syafii Ma'arif said on Tuesday.

Launching a full-blown war against GAM, which has been
fighting for independence since 1976, would run the risk of
reducing the Aceh question to merely a security problem, he
added, while ignoring the fact that the rebellion there was
triggered by disappointment over the central government's
inability to keep numerous promises dating back to the early
1950s.

The Acehnese were particularly disappointed with the
government's failure to give the province a special status in
terms of education, culture and religion as promised by first
president Sukarno after the Acehnese agreed to help Indonesia in
its independence rebellion against colonial rule.

Their disappointment was further exacerbated by the treatment
by the central government, which has systematically siphoned off
much of its resources, leaving the province impoverished and
behind most provinces in the country in terms of economic
development.

The demands of Acehnese religious leaders to bring to justice
military personnel accused of human rights abuses there from 1988
to 1998 have also been ignored by the central government.

Former president Soeharto declared Aceh as a military
operation area in 1988, a status that was revoked only by his
successor B.J. Habibie in 1998. Thousands of people, mostly
innocent civilians, were killed in that period, and thousands
more are still missing, presumed dead.

Meanwhile, an informal group of public figures committed to
solving the Aceh issue through peaceful means called for the
establishment of a National Committee for Aceh Settlement to help
find the best solution to the province's problem.

Group member Ismail Hasan Metareum, an Acehnese, said
Wednesday that the committee members consisted of intelligent,
non-governmental people who know Aceh's problem and understand
Acehnese culture.

Aside from Ismail Hassan Metareum, the members include former
foreign affairs minister Ali Alatas, noted Muslim scholar
Nurcholish Madjid, former Jakarta governor Surjadi Soedirdja,
Muslim cleric Alie Yafie and Muhammadiyah Chairman Syafii
Ma'arif.

Commenting on the suggestions, Minister Susilo said that the
government welcomed input from all groups.

Separately, the Aceh leaders-in-exile, including Hasan di Tiro
recently changed the name of their movement to the "State of
Aceh".