Japan, U.S. initiate meeting to rebuild shattered Aceh

Moch. N. Kurniawan and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Japan and the U.S. have initiated a meeting to support the peace settlement for Aceh in Tokyo and produce post-war financial assistance for the strife-torn province.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Wednesday that the meeting would be on Dec. 3, before Jakarta and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) had reached a final agreement.

"This meeting has been initiated by Japan and the U.S. in support of the peace process and both Japan and the U.S. wish to see GAM sign the peace agreement," Hassan said after a hearing with House of Representatives Commission I on security and foreign affairs.

Hassan said that Jakarta considered the planned meeting to be an attempt to reinforce ongoing peace talks between the government and GAM, mediated by the Geneva-based non-governmental organization, the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC).

"Its purpose is to induce the parties involved in the negotiations to be more serious in their dialog to reach a lasting solution ... in particular to induce GAM to remove shortcomings and sign the peace agreement," Hassan continued.

When asked whether GAM would participate in the meeting, Hassan said, "It's still being discussed."

After months of delay, Jakarta and GAM are slated to sign a peace agreement on the cessation of hostilities on Dec. 9 in Geneva.

However, the deal remains in limbo as GAM's leadership in Sweden denied on Wednesday that it had agreed with HDC to sign the peace deal with Jakarta on that date.

The Swedish-based GAM leadership, however, apparently contradicted statements from its own fighters on the ground, who said on Wednesday that its leaders throughout Aceh had on Tuesday received an announcement about the proposed Dec. 9 signing from their commander, Muzakkir Manaf.

Later on Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa explained to The Jakarta Post that the two foreign governments would not replace HDC as the facilitator of the peace talks and said that the planned meeting in Tokyo would discuss possible financial assistance for "post-war rehabilitation" of the province.

"The assistance is to encourage GAM to sign the peace deal because as soon as peace reigns reconstruction in the province can start," Marty said.

He added that the form of the meeting remained on the table for discussion, including the seniority of participants at the meeting and how many countries would participate.