Govt urged to continue dialog on Aceh issue
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
While the Indonesian Military (TNI) is insisting on a military operation to end the conflict in Aceh, local legislators and political analysts have strongly urged the government to continue with the peace process and win the Acehnese people's support for the unitary state.
The politicians and analysts were commenting on the postponement of a hearing on Wednesday between the House of Representatives and the government to evaluate the escalating situation in Aceh.
The law requires the government to secure the House's approval if it decides to launch a military operation. Despite the opposition of many legislators, the major political parties have expressed their support for the planned adoption of a repressive approach to crush the separatist movement.
Amris Hassan, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), denied that his Commission I on defense affairs has ever given the government the green light to launch a military operation in Aceh.
He conceded his commission, which deals with security, defense and foreign affairs, had discussed the latest developments in Aceh and Papua with the military leadership during a closed-door meeting early in March, but no agreement was reached.
"During the meeting, we decided on two options to deal with the separatist movement in Aceh. The first option is to continue with dialog, while the second one is for the government to stick to the peace process.
He said many legislators were of the opinion that a military operation should be a last resort and that there should be "a series of talks and negotiations before the last resort is reached."
According to Amris, if a military operation were launched, both the government and the House would have to closely watch its implementation in the field to make sure that no violations occurred.
He warned that the nation should learn from the military operation in Aceh from 1989 through 1999, when the military proved incapable of suppressing the separatist movement. He said the nation should not make the same mistake twice.
"If necessary, we could also invite UN officials as observers to monitor whether or not the military and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) are abiding by the peace deal. Somehow, I believe there are still prospects for a peaceful solution in Aceh," Amris told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Acehnese figure Gazhalin Abas, a member of the People's Consultative Assembly, called on the government to change its mind and continue to pursue dialog as there was no guarantee that the planned military operation would be over quickly, produce a victory for the government, crush GAM and avoid civilian casualties.
"We should not listen to the military because all they want is war, even if it is at the expense of thousands of innocent lives," Gazhali told the Post.
Indonesia and GAM signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in December last year, marking the end of some two-and-a-half years of negotiations initiated by former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid after several years of military repression by his predecessors.
GAM has been fighting for independence as many there feel they have been deceived by Indonesia ever since the country's independence in 1945.
The disappointment of the Acehnese reached its peak during former president Soeharto's 32-year New Order regime during which most of the revenues from natural resources went to Jakarta while thousands of Acehnese people were killed during repeated military operations.
The government under former presidents B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman Wahid tried to heal the wounds caused by their predecessors, but so far no concrete action has been taken to fulfill its promises.
Following several negotiations, GAM finally agreed to accept special autonomy as a starting point toward the formation of a democratic government in the province, and the creation of security for Acehnese people.
Misinterpretations by both sides have damaged the mutual confidence necessary to end the conflict.
The Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen. Bibit Waluyo amplified the military leadership's call for an immediate military operation to end the conflict.
"I'm ready to deploy hundreds more reinforcements to Aceh to crush GAM," he told reporters after attending a ceremony marking the 51st anniversary of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) at their headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta.
Agreeing with Bibit was Kopassus Commander Maj. Gen. Sriyanto, who said that two battalions of Kopassus troops hae been dispatched in Aceh a few days ago to reinforce the 21,000 military personnel already there.