Govt, GAM to meet in Geneva

Govt, GAM to meet in Geneva

Tiarma Siboro and Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Banda Aceh

The government has agreed to hold a Joint Council meeting with
the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 25
in a bid to salvage the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement
(COHA).

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on Tuesday that he would lead
the government delegation.

Also included in the delegation are Indonesian Military
Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, National Intelligence Agency
(BIN) Chief A.M. Hendropriyono and chief negotiator Wiryono
Sastrohandoyo.

Susilo said the government was ready to meet with GAM in
Geneva to attempt to solve the Aceh issue peacefully.

However, he maintained Aceh was part of Indonesia and that
granting Aceh special autonomy to manage its own affairs had been
final and there would no more discussions on the two basic
points.

"The President (Megawati Soekarnoputri) has given two
important guidelines in handling the Aceh conflict. The first is
we have to try to solve the conflict peacefully and the second is
that Aceh is an integral part of Indonesia," he said.

Susilo said he was aware that numerous parties hoped the
meeting would reduce the possibility of war in Aceh but said a
military operation would be a last resort if peaceful efforts to
end the conflict failed.

"Indonesia will take all measures to maintain its sovereignty
over Aceh and we will not bow down to the separatist movement,"
he said, referring to the government's recent meeting with the
House of Representatives.

Amid increasing tension in Aceh, 40 social groups and non-
governmental organizations have submitted a number of
recommendations to the Joint Council to help salvage the COHA.

The organizations recommended the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC),
who established the Joint Council, be given more power to enforce
the COHA, to take action against any side violating the agreement
and to supervise the dissemination of information regarding the
COHA to the people.

In a joint statement released in Banda Aceh, the capital of
Aceh, on Tuesday, the groups said that both warring factions
should return to the COHA, otherwise the Acehnese would suffer
further should the government launch another military operation.

An estimated 10,000 people, mainly civilians, have been killed
in the 27-year-old war.

The recommendations were delivered to the HDC leadership in
Geneva, Megawati and the GAM leadership in Stockholm, Sweden.

"A war will erupt in Aceh and more and more people will be
killed should GAM and the government fail to settle their
differences in implementing the peace agreement," said Islamuddin
S.T., representing the Center for Referendum Information (SIRA)
in Aceh.

He said the tripartite meeting should also discuss Chapter 2
of the COHA, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech, as
highlighted by the arrest of SIRA Chairman Muhammad Nazar.

Indonesian Women's True Partners organization (MISPI) director
Syarifah Rahmatillah said both GAM and the military had breached
the COHA because the HDC had no power to force both sides to
comply with the agreement.

"Besides, both the HDC and the Joint Security Committee (JSC)
have no power to take action against any group or individuals
found guilty of violating the COHA.

"The three sides should make a new agreement that the
dissemination of information on COHA must be under the
supervision of the HDC," she said.

Waisul Qarany, a local councillor from the National Mandate
Party (PAN), concurred and said the HDC and the JSC should be
given a bigger role to play in enforcing the peace agreement.

The situation is growing tenser in Bireuen after a member of
the police Mobile Brigade unit was killed and two others
seriously injured in an attack by unidentified gunmen on a police
truck in Kuta Makmur District.

North Aceh Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Eko Danyanto accused
GAM of launching the assault.