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".