Govt to impose stern measures against separatists
Govt to impose stern measures against separatists
JAKARTA (JP): The government will take stern measures against
separatist movement activities nationwide starting next month,
Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. said on Tuesday.
"It is clear that within the next two weeks the government
will impose a new policy, that is to take firm action against any
separatist movement activities.
"Of course we'll still hold dialogs, but not with the
separatist groups. Aspirations for independence will not be
discussed in the dialogs, either," Mahfud told reporters after
attending a limited Cabinet meeting on security affairs at the
office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
Security Affairs.
He said the government is tired of the prolonged talks, since
the separatist movements have yet to change their demands for
independence.
"Look at the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). We (the government)
have held talks with them twice, but they were fruitless. They
still ask for independence, which the government will never
allow", Mahfud said.
The Indonesian government, facilitated by a Swiss-based non-
governmental Organization (NGO), the Henry Dunant Center, has
conducted talks with GAM's representatives in Geneva since June
last year. The agreement, termed a humanitarian pause, had been
extended twice before the government and GAM agreed to impose a
one-month moratorium of violence over the troubled province on
Jan. 15.
The newest accord to reduce violence was set up last Saturday,
replacing the one-month moratorium which ended on Feb. 15.
However, GAM executives doubted that the new accord could
build confidence between the government and GAM.
Irian Jaya is another Indonesian province which has been
disrupted by calls for independence from its people.
On Monday, a separatist rebel leader Willem Onde met House of
Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung at the latter's office to
deliver a demand for the province's independence and to ask for
the House's stance on the issue.
Akbar, however, ruled out the independence for the province,
which is rich in natural resources, and suggested that Onde and
the people in the province draft a bill on special autonomy.
When asked whether the stern measures to be taken would be in
the form of military operations, Mahfud said the government would
take 'a comprehensive approach', including law enforcement,
economic recovery and also social, religious and political
activities.
"Regarding military operations, the government is still
formulating a 'legal umbrella'. It can be in the form of a
Presidential Decree or even a Law," Mahfud said.
The minister, however, said that the government would
carefully specify the outlawed separatist movement activities in
the country so as to avoid criminalizing people who should not be
the target of the government's new policy. (02)