Habibie follows through on nine-point promise to Aceh

Habibie follows through on nine-point promise to Aceh

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie summoned 15 ministers on
Monday to follow up on his nine-point promise made to people in
Aceh during his one-day trip to the province last week, including
legal action against those involved in rights abuses there.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty
Eradication Haryono Suyono said the President had ordered the
ministers to speed up the construction of more irrigation
facilities, agricultural development, the reopening of a railway
and scholarships to children made orphans during the military
operations of 1989 to 1998.

"It is not only a promise," said Haryono in a news conference
with Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono.

Adi said the President also ordered the trial of anyone,
including military members and civilians, guilty of rights abuses
in Aceh as pledged during his Friday visit to Banda Aceh.

When asked about Acehnese demands for a referendum, Adi said
the central government should also consider the interests of
other provinces and not just Aceh.

On Monday in Banda Aceh, Governor Syamsuddin Mahmud said the
President's conveyed promises were "historic" as it was the first
time a president had conveyed such plans to the Acehnese.

Among critical attendees at the meeting were those who warned
the government against making empty promises.

The governor said on Friday at a meeting between Habibie and
the public that the people's perceived slowness of the government
in following up on its apology for impacts of the military
operations had led to demands of a referendum on Aceh's future.

Last year, Armed Forces Commander/Minister of Defense and
Security Gen. Wiranto apologized after lifting the province's
military operations status.

Habibie's visit was earlier praised by Aceh community leaders
in Jakarta, although concern was raised over the several people
injured in clashes on Friday between demonstrators and security
personnel.

Students have lashed out at the government over the clashes.

Students of the Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung
said in a statement that the clash "shows that the government is
not willing to tolerate differences of opinion by the way it
drives (dissidents) away using its political tool, the Armed
Forces".

A statement signed by the university's Student Committee said
of Friday's incident, "it reinforces our commitment that
Indonesian students should continue the struggle for total
change... toward democracy, which has now been betrayed by the
Habibie regime". (prb/anr)