Ministers arrive in rebellious Aceh
Ministers arrive in rebellious Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): State Minister of Human Rights Affairs
Hasballah M. Saad returned to his restive homeland on Saturday to
pave the way for a dialog between President Abdurrahman Wahid and
Aceh leaders later this month.
"I come here to visit my brothers. I have no specific message
from the President, as I was only told to listen to the people of
Aceh," Hasballah said upon his arrival in the provincial capital,
where hundreds of thousands of people gathered on Monday to
demand a self-determination referendum.
Hasballah was earlier seen kissing the tarmac on his arrival.
As his convoy headed into town, it passed groups of Acehnese
waving banners that read Referendum and Without independence,
Aceh is ready for a war.
Hasballah was accompanied by State Minister of Women's
Empowerment Khofifah Indar Parawansa, State Minister of Housing
and Regional Development Erna Witoelar and Minister of
Transmigration and Population Al Hilal Hamdi.
On Saturday afternoon, Hasballah, Khofifah and Erna met with
representatives of 22 non-governmental organizations in Aceh.
During the meeting, the activists told the three ministers
that they supported the referendum as it had become the popular
demand in Aceh.
"The people's years of suffering have compelled us to
reconsider our presence within Indonesia," an activist said,
reading a statement.
Earlier in the day, speaker of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais admitted that it would be difficult for
Jakarta to reject the demand for a referendum as the Acehnese
were strongly committed to the referendum cause.
"I have met with activists, students, ulemas and
representatives of the Free Aceh Movement and I have reached the
conclusion that all of the people here have agreed to push for a
referendum," said Amien, who was about to return to Jakarta after
completing a two-day visit here on Friday.
"I only appeal to the people here to think clearly because
setting up a state is not an easy task," he added.
Amien also said that Jakarta should immediately pay its "debt"
to the Acehnese by prosecuting alleged perpetrators of human
rights abuses and implementing fairer revenue sharing to ease
tension in the province.
Jakarta has come under mounting pressure to prosecute military
personnel who were responsible for serious human rights abuses in
Aceh.
In Washington D.C. on Friday, Abdurrahman said his government
would not hesitate to take "tough attitudes against those who did
not want to negotiate (with the government) and air demands which
are not reasonable at all."
Abdurrahman was answering his United States counterpart Bill
Clinton, who had asked him about his policy to maintain the
Indonesian territory in the wake of growing resentment from
provinces outside Java against the central government.
The President was referring to the Acehnese who are persistent
in their demand for a referendum on their homeland's future.
Abdurrahman told Clinton he would primarily take a persuasive
approach and hold a dialog with the parties concerned to find a
settlement.
In the West Java capital of Bandung, constitutional law expert
Sri Soemantri said on Saturday that Jakarta should consult the
whole nation through a Canadian-style referendum to decide
whether a referendum in Aceh is acceptable or not.
(43/50/byg/prb)