House, ministers to prepare contingency plan for Aceh
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government has scheduled a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) for Wednesday to evaluate the situation in Aceh, including the preparation of a contingency plan for the province.
The meeting is expected to come up with some alternatives if a military operation to quell the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) becomes unavoidable.
As many as seven military officials and ministers who are in charge of security affairs will discuss the matter with the House Commission I.
"We will assess the situation in Aceh from several aspects to hopefully prevent adverse impacts (should a military operation be launched," Commission I chairman, Ibrahim Ambong, said here on Monday.
Among the officials who will attend the meeting are Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesian Military Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.
Ambong, also a legislator from the Golkar Party, explained that his commission had actually called on the military to prepare a contingency plan in facing a possible force majeure should the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) that Indonesia and GAM signed on Dec. 9, 2002, failed to end the 27- year conflict.
He conceded that the green light was given for an alternative plan during a closed-door meeting between the commission and the military chief on March 5.
Ambong declined to elaborate on the contingency plan in detail.
"Well, it (the contingency plan) was not explained. I think it could be imposing a civilian or military emergency status on the province," Ambong said.
Separately, fellow commission member Djoko Susilo of the Reform faction warned that the proposed contingency plan was actually a blank check and it could be manipulated to make the situation worse.
"It is like giving the military a blank check. Accepting a contingency plan means also supporting a military operation," Djoko added.
He conceded that he was among a few legislators opposing the proposed military operation because it would not solve the problem.
Djoko said that the peace process in Aceh was not proceeding optimally, but the two warring groups should sit together to evaluate the implementation of the peace agreement.
Ambong conceded that both the House and the government had acknowledged an absence of progress in the peace pact's implementation during the last meeting.
"We have seen that the peace agreement has given more space for GAM to campaign for independence," he said.
Ambong said that legislators from all factions principally agreed that they wanted to prevent civilian casualties. Many members of the commission suggested that the government should not give the province a military operation status because it would cause civilian victims.
"It is better for the military and the government to discuss the situation with the House before making a decision to launch a military action," Ambong said.
Indonesia, GAM and the Henry Dunand Centre were scheduled to hold a joint council meeting on April 24 to evaluate the implementation of the faltering four-month-old peace agreement.