Gus Dur welcomes new Aceh governor
Gus Dur welcomes new Aceh governor
SEMARANG (JP): Convinced of his nationalism and knowledge on
the problems facing the Acehnese, President Abdurrahman Wahid
eventually welcomed the election of former youth leader Abdullah
Puteh as governor of Aceh and asked Minister of Home Affairs and
Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja to recognize the newly-
elected governor.
The President and the minister had earlier demanded local
legislators to delay the election until after the humanitarian
pause ends in January next year.
"I believe Puteh has strong nationalism and understanding of
the local problems," he said in a dialog on Islam and humanism
here on Monday.
"Let's support Puteh in building democracy and upholding the
supremacy of the law in Aceh based on good and clean governance,"
he added.
Abdurrahman said he had ordered Army chief Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto to end the violence while handling the separatist
movement in Aceh.
"Talks will be fruitless if they (security apparatus) use a
violent approach," he said.
In a related development, public transportation services
plying the Banda Aceh-Medan routes have been told to cease
operations until Wednesday, leaving hundreds of people stranded,
a resident said.
"We do not know why but we heard that public transportation
would not run for the next two days," a resident who asked not to
be named, said.
Residents said they had seen security personnel checking
passengers of public minivans and buses entering the capital of
Banda Aceh.
Separately, Aceh Police special operation Cinta Meunasah
information chief Sr. Supt. Kusbini Imbar confirmed that the
police inspection had been launched to prevent a planned mass
gathering in Banda Aceh before the end of the week.
"We learned that residents in several regencies have been
forced to attend the gathering," Kusbini said, adding that the
police had no special security plan but to remain alert.
The mass gathering, dubbed the "Acehnese Grand Meeting for
Peace", is slated to be held this week at the Baiturrahman Grand
Mosque in Banda Aceh, aiming at fostering unity and brotherhood
to create peace in the strife-torn province. The gathering is
expected to draw tens of thousands of local residents.
Separately, the three-day congress on Victims of Human Rights
Violation in Aceh, ended on Monday with recommendations on the
importance of holding an international standard tribunal to try
human rights violations and to restore the Acehnese rights to
freedom of expression, including a referendum. (50/lup/har)