Kalla visits Aceh, monitors peace process

Kalla visits Aceh, monitors peace process

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Vice President Jusuf Kalla visited Aceh on Wednesday to monitor
post-tsunami reconstruction and hold talks on the progress in the
historic peace process with former separatist rebels in the
province.

In his first trip to the province after the signing of the
peace deal between the government and the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) leaders in Helsinki in August this year, Kalla held a
closed-door meeting with the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM)'s top
two officials, Pieter Feith and his deputy Nipat Thonglek from
Thailand.

They did not comment to reporters after the talks, AFP
reported. The talks came ahead of the start of a third phase of a
weapons decommissioning by GAM on Monday.

About 240 peace monitors from the European Union and five
member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are
overseeing the peace deal aimed at ending nearly three decades of
conflict in the province.

The deal saw GAM drop its long-held demand for independence in
exchange for a form of local government. GAM must also gradually
hand over its declared 840-weapon arsenal in four stages, which
is expected to be concluded by the end of the year. So far, 476
weapons have already been handed over and in return, the military
and police have pulled out more than half of the 24,000
reinforcement troops in Aceh.

However, Kalla's short trip on Wednesday disappointed Kampung
Jawa residents in Kutaraja district, Banda Aceh since the tsunami
survivors did not have the chance to talk with him.

"We had high hopes that we could talk with the Vice President.
Even half an hour would be enough," said Yani, a resident, who
had been waiting with other residents for Kalla to arrive since
the morning.

"We want to ask the government to make a dam to protect the
village from seawater," said Khairunisa, another resident.

Kalla, who was accompanied by several ministers, only visited
the village for about 10 minutes.

In the one-day visit, Kalla met local leaders, including 14
high-ranking GAM officials, and opened a local congress of the
Golkar party he chairs before returning to Jakarta.

He was also briefed by the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
Agency for Aceh and Nias on its work and plans to provide 78,000
homes over the next year.

In Kampung Jawa village, Kalla watched Acehnese traditional
houses built by non-governmental organization Muslim Aid for the
tsunami victims.

According to the organization's director, Fadlullah Wilmot,
the Vice President was impressed with the construction of the
houses.

From 170 of the Rumah Aceh traditional houses the organization
planned to build for tsunami victims, 80 were completed and
occupied.

"The main material is coconut wood so there's no need to fell
wood from the forest," said Wilmot, adding that it requires Rp 40
million (US$4,000) to build each house, including providing
electricity.

So far, international and local non-governmental organizations
have built 5,820 of the planned 200,000 houses for tsunami
victims in Aceh.