No more mediators for Aceh dialog, says Susilo
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)