No more mediators for Aceh dialog, says Susilo

JAKARTA (JP): A top cabinet official said on Sunday that the government would dispense of third party mediation at the end of the month long moratorium on violence in Aceh on Feb. 15 and engage in dialog directly with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

"Starting Feb. 15, the Indonesian government will determine the solution to the Aceh problem and a mediator will not be needed anymore in our dialog and negotiation," Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told journalists on Sunday.

Government representatives and GAM negotiators have been conducting a dialog hosted and facilitated by the Henri Dunant Center for Humanitarian Dialogue in Switzerland.

The results of the talks last year produced a Humanitarian Pause which was extended in September. During talks earlier this month, the Indonesian government refused to extend the accord but both sides agreed to a one-month moratorium on violence starting Jan. 15.

Susilo said here on Sunday that the moratorium would be used to draft a time frame and concept for the upcoming dialog with GAM.

"The moratorium on violence is needed because we decided to open dialogs with other factions outside GAM, so we have to determine who will be our dialog partners," he added.

Susilo, however, warned that despite the accord, law enforcement operations would continue in Aceh.

Meanwhile in Banda Aceh, representatives of the government and separatist rebels in Aceh have agreed to set up a working committee for the implementation of the moratorium.

Work on the committee would begin at a meeting in Geneva on Feb. 12-14, said a statement signed by government representative Sr. Comr. Ridwan Karim and GAM's Teungku Nashiruddin bin Ahmed.

"Both sides agreed to form a working committee whose membership will be designated by their respective leaders, with the task of preparing various concepts related to security affairs and democratic consultations," the statement said.

In a separate development, Aceh again saw more deaths as a man, identified as Zakaria, was shot dead in Riweuek village, Sakti district in Pidie on Saturday.

Local residents said he was shot after attempted to escape from police custody.

However, Aceh Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Yatim Suyatmo maintained that no such happening took place on Saturday, and said that the shooting might have been the work of GAM members masquerading as security personnel. (44/50/51/edt/dja)