No interference in Aceh People's Congress: Minister

No interference in Aceh People's Congress: Minister

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Minister of Human Rights Affairs
Hasballah M. Saad assured on Thursday the government's neutrality
in the long-awaited Aceh People's Congress (KRA) slated to be
held in mid-May.

"The government will not meddle with the preparations or the
results of the congress. We will leave it up to the Aceh people,"
Hasballah said during a meeting with the Indonesian Teachers
Union (PGRI) on the eve of the first joint military-civilian
trial of human rights case here on Wednesday.

"The government will only hope that KRA will be the highest
democratic forum for Acehnese to further decide the province's
future," Hasballah said.

However, the government will reply to any recommendation
resulting from the congress by forging a team comprised of a
number of ministers and related officials, Hasballah said.

"We hope a dialog between the government and congress
representatives will occur in order to end the violence in the
province, as well as supporting a fair political solution," the
minister said.

A week-long congress was originally slated to start on April
22 -- just two days after the opening session of the joint
tribunal -- but was delayed by the chairman of the event
committee, Tengku Syech Syamaun Risyad, who claimed there was too
little promotion to make it worthwhile.

Reports, however, said that people were made nervous by the
large security presence which was aimed at safeguarding the joint
trial on the Bantaqiah murder case along with the widespread
violence in Banda Aceh and neighboring Aceh Besar regency.

Organizers have not set a new date for the week-long congress,
which was initially slated to be attended by around 1,500
participants, including representatives from the moderate wing of
the Malaysian-based Free Aceh Movement Administrative Council.

GAM's armed wing commander Tengku Abdullah Syafi'ie has
rejected the congress because "KRA has been interfered with by
Jakarta". He said if the congress went forward, GAM would call
for a mass strike.

Hasballah, however, expressed guarded optimism that the
congress would run in a democratic way and be free from
intimidation and fear.

"Every district in Aceh is free to appoint their
representatives. So it will be fair to everyone," he said, adding
that apart from the congress, the government had been holding
unofficial talks with GAM leaders on the future of Aceh.

Violence, however, continued to rock Aceh. In Tapak Tuan,
South Aceh, one man was killed and two others injured when gunmen
raided a house in the village of Berudang around 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Maj. Abdul Wahab and First Sgt. Haswari were
shot to death by unidentified gunmen in separate frays in Banda
Aceh and Peusangan district in Bireuen hours after the joint
tribunal on Wednesday, police said.

In Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, a grenade blast injured three
soldiers late on Wednesday. No details were available, however.
(50/51/edt)