Hope, wariness welcome signing of aceh peace accord

Hope, wariness welcome signing of aceh peace accord

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Hope, relief and wariness were all part of the feelings in Aceh
on Monday after the government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
signed a peace deal to end a decades-long bloody conflict that
have claimed more than 10,000 lives, mostly innocent civilians.

Imam Suja, Aceh's noted religious leader, said on Monday that
he was happy with the progress but reminded Acehnese people to
contemplate on the meaning of the accord and not to be carried
away in euphoria.

He said that the implementation of the accord would be the
hardest part as all parties would have to abide by the agreements
reached.

"The realization of the peace accord in the field is a must,"
Imam said.

The accord, which took two years to negotiate, was signed on
the shores of Lake Geneva by S. Wiryono, representative of
Indonesian government, and Dr. Zaini Abdullah of GAM.

The framework agreement calls for GAM to disarm over a two to
five month period while Jakarta would withdraw many of its 22,000
troops there.

The key outstanding disagreement, left unresolved by the peace
plan, is that the Acehnese side wants independence still, while
Jakarta is only prepared to grant special autonomy.

According to the Henri Dunant Center (HDC) which has
facilitated the negotiation since 2000, a monitoring team made up
of representatives of GAM, Indonesian government and foreign
countries would monitor any incidents that might happen during
the ceasefire.

"Senior representatives of HDC who join the committee on
security will arrive on Dec. 16 and join with the representatives
of GAM and Indonesian government," William Dowell of HDC said in
a statement.

Imam expressed optimism that the two conflicting parties
should be able to implement the agreement because there would be
some 150 people involved in the monitoring team to assist.

Meanwhile, most residents in the province have expressed
happiness and relief after the "cessation of hostilities"
agreement was signed.

"The most important thing for us people of Aceh is that there
should be no more killings in Aceh," vegetable vendor Ramlah, 60,
was quoted by AFP as saying.

In Jakarta, dozens of Acehnese leaders performed a thanks-
giving prayer at the Al Azhar mosque in South Jakarta soon after
the peace agreement was signed.

Deputy chief of GAM Aceh Besar Teungku Muharram told The
Jakarta Post Monday that GAM gave its support to the accord
although it still had some reservations about the good will of
the Indonesian military (TNI) and police in the field.

"We will obey our commander's order and implement all
instructions given. We will conduct what has been agreed upon in
the accord. But we will stay alert; we will fight back if we are
attacked," he said.

One of the points in the preamble makes clear that throughout
the peace process, law and order will be the responsibility of
the National Police. And the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob)
troops will be reformulated and no longer initiate offensive
action.

Separately, TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and some senior
military officers welcomed the agreement when they learned of its
signing.

Endriartono is planning to hold a "thanks-giving ceremony" or
sujud on Tuesday with Aceh people and military personnel at Hiraq
field in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh.

Endriartono promised that there would be no provocation from
GAM and misconduct from military personnel in the field after the
agreement.

"There will be no hostilities anymore," he was quoted by Aceh
military spokesman Let. Col. Firdaus as saying.

Iskandar Muda military commander M. Djali Yusuf announced
Monday that he would end the military siege in Cot Trieng and
withdraw the troops there.

He said that military personnel who were still part of the
siege had been ordered to cease movements and return to their
former position.

"If there is an instruction from the government, the troops
will be deployed to defensive positions," he said.

Endriartono earlier said in a press conference in Lhokseumawe
that TNI's stance would depend on the situation in the field but
it would make some adjustments in accordance with the peace
accord, including withdrawing some troops currently deployed in
the province.

"If criminal actions continue in the field then the
reinforcements will be maintained but if there are no more
criminal actions, they will be withdrawn gradually," he said.

At least 10,000 people have been killed in fighting in Aceh,
at the northern tip of Sumatra island, since GAM was founded in
December 1976.

Human rights workers say more than 1,200 people have died in
the province this year alone and that four out of five victims
were civilians.