Peace process in Aceh on the right track, Kalla says
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Thursday that the current peace-building process in Aceh was on the right track, giving optimism for a lasting peace in the resource-rich province, which for three decades had been wracked by bloody armed conflict.
"It is on the right track. The big work now is completing the decommissioning process," he told the press at his office, referring to the final process of disarmament of members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the withdrawal of non-regular military and police troops from the province, one of the major components of the landmark peace accord signed by the government and GAM on Aug. 15.
Kalla, who supervised the government team in the peace negotiation process that took place in Helsinki, believed that GAM would surrender all of its weapons as required.
According to the Vice President, the Acehnese have more homework to complete in order to achieve a lasting peace in Aceh: drafting the bill on the governing of Aceh. This legislation is expected to allow former GAM members to form local political parties to join in the next elections of local administration leaders and councillors.
He said that the bill must accommodate all layers of Aceh society, including GAM, which started its campaign for independence in 1976 leading to a lengthy war that has taken over 15,000 lives.
The government also expected GAM to disclose the names of its members to be given financial support for reintegration.
"After the completion of the truce, GAM members must reintegrate into Indonesia. They will be given land, so the government needs the names of their members for the certificate as well as for their ID cards," Kalla said.
Meanwhile, GAM handed over some of their last weapons on Thursday in the final phase of the disarmament process.
The decommissioning of arms is scheduled to be completed on Saturday, Associated Press reported.
GAM has surrendered a total of 730 weapons, which had been accepted by the government so far, said Maj. Gen. Bambang Dharmono representing the Indonesian government.
Under the truce, GAM must hand over a total of 840 functioning arms, while the government must withdraw 24,000 soldiers and police, both by the end of the year. The last 5,800 soldiers in Aceh are scheduled to leave on Dec. 29.
"The Free Aceh Movement rebels still need to hand in 110 more weapons," Bambang said.
However, GAM member Teungku Muharram said he was confident the Dec. 31 deadline would be met.
Peace efforts in Aceh picked up speed after the massive earthquake and tsunami struck the area on Dec. 26, 2004, killing 131,000 people in the province and leaving half a million others homeless.