House demands govt halt Aceh peace talks

House demands govt halt Aceh peace talks

Tony Hotland and Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Dissatisfied with the "insignificant" results of the latest peace
talks in Finland, the House of Representatives demanded on Friday
that the government drop plans for further negotiations with
insurgents to end the decades-long separatist fighting in Aceh
province.

The House has decided to send a warning note to President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to convey its demand.

The decision was made during a meeting of House leaders and
the chairpersons of Commission I on defense and foreign affairs,
Commission II on domestic administration and local autonomy, and
Commission III on legal affairs and security.

House deputy speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno said on Friday
that the results of the fourth round of peace talks in Helsinki,
Finland, which ended on Tuesday, had crossed the lines mutually
agreed by the House and the government.

"We need to be stricter. A working meeting between the House
and the government agreed that this (round) would be the last one
if no significant progress was made," he said.

Soetardjo was referring to a meeting last week, where the
government and the House agreed that a deadline to cease talks
with Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders would be set if no final
agreement was achieved.

He also said the decision to involve third (foreign) parties
in the conflict had crossed over the line as the meeting had
resulted in a commitment to minimize the involvement of
foreigners.

The Indonesian delegates have said they and GAM had come to an
agreement on most subsidiary points, including an amnesty and
security arrangements, but not yet on the substantial issues,
including the legalization of locally based political parties,
the holding of new local elections, and the administrative status
of Aceh.

The two sides also agreed to allow a greater role
for the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in
supervising the implementation of a peace agreement, while
experts from the European Union would serve as observers for the
peace talks.

In addition, the two sides agreed to hold a fifth round of
informal talks on July 12 to be followed by more formal talks.
Basic documents are being currently being drafted to form the
basis for an eventual agreement.

Soetardjo said the House had objected to having the talks held
in Helsinki from the start. He added that if more talks were
needed, they should be held in Indonesia.

The House, however, failed to make any suggestions as to how
the war in Aceh could be ended. However, it apparently believes
that the government should proceed with military operations
against GAM.

The breakdown of an earlier peace accord between the
government and GAM in 2003 led to the imposition of martial law
in the province. Last month, the government lifted the state of
emergency in Aceh but did not withdraw any of the 35,000 troops
stationed there.

Separately on Friday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the
separatist conflict in tsunami-ravaged Aceh must be resolved in a
peaceful manner, and that the involvement of foreign parties was
a common practice.

"Those who reject the current attempts to settle the
separatist conflict in Aceh should know that the violence needs
to be ended peacefully and in a dignified way. The talks are
progressing and everybody should be glad of that," said Kalla.

He said the plan to include ASEAN and the EU was acceptable
and usual.

"Indonesia has also been asked to monitor the peace talks
between the Philippine government and Moro separatists," Kalla
said.

He also said there was no way that GAM would agree to peace
talks at home, and that the best solution was to have such talks
in a neutral country.