JP/7/aceh

GAM to attend further talks in Geneva

The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Rebel leaders said on Saturday that they will attend fresh rounds of peace talks with the Indonesian government later this month in Switzerland to try to end separatist fighting in Aceh province.

Separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) Spokesman Tgk. Sofyan Ibrahim said his group had been notified by the Henry Dunant Centre, the dialog facilitator, about the plan.

All GAM negotiators would attend the dialog to be held in Geneva, he said. "I think it would be strange if GAM negotiators from Aceh did not attend the meeting," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

The two camps are expected to discuss efforts to restore security in Aceh and the implementation of special autonomy for the rebellious province which includes greater resource revenue and Islamic syariah law.

No specified date was mentioned for the talks that would follow the latest dialog also in Geneva on Feb. 2, 2002, in which GAM reportedly agreed to discuss the Special Autonomy Law for the province, implemented by the government since January 2002, as the basis for future peace talks.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, however, stopped short of saying the result of the February talks showed that GAM had softened its stance toward Indonesia, especially after the death of its commander Tengku Abdullah Syafi'ie.

"The most important thing is that (GAM) appeared at the discussions, when before it seemed to be reluctant to engage in another peace dialog with us ... There will be further meetings in the near future," he said.

The on again off again dialog between Jakarta and GAM has been going on for the past two years. However, there were no signs that the conflict would cease in the near future.

Meanwhile, two people were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the almost daily violence in Aceh, residents told AFP on Saturday.

The victims included a 37 year-old employee with the state TVRI television in the Blang Bintang area of Aceh Besar district.

The employee died from a loss of blood on Friday night due to multiple gunshot wounds.

In South Aceh on Thursday, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of people at a food stall in Sawang area, killing one and wounding at least two others, witnesses said.

As is often the case there were two wildly different accusations from both sides.

District military chief Lieutenant Colonel Agus Permana claimed that the shooting was carried out by GAM members.

However, local GAM spokesman Ayah Manggeng denied the accusation, stating that government troops were responsible for the incident.

Also on Thursday, two residents were injured when two grenades hurled by two unidentified men exploded near the office of the Lamapaseh Kota village chief in Banda Aceh.

Neither side claimed responsibility for the explosions.