Peace process in Aceh on the right track, Kalla says

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.