RI and GAM hold peace talks in Aceh

RI and GAM hold peace talks in Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): The joint committee, representatives of
the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels
group held peace talks here on Monday, to discuss, among other
things, the establishment of a joint democracy council.

Before the session, GAM spokesman Teuku Kamaruzzaman told The
Jakarta Post that the meeting planned to discuss the
establishment of a democracy council that would function as the
facilitator of political dialog, in order to identify a format
for a peaceful solution for Aceh.

The institution would be jointly managed by Acehnese
civilians, GAM members and representatives of the Indonesian
government, Kamaruzzaman said on Sunday.

The political initiatives coming from the new committee would
be expected to provide input for the further round of Indonesian-
GAM talks in Geneva, Switzerland in September.

The Monday talks, held at the Kuala Tripa Hotel in Banda Aceh,
started at around 10:00 a.m., and will continue on Tuesday.

None of the participants at the meeting was willing to speak
to reporters, including the leader of the Indonesian government
delegation police Sr. Comr. Ridwan Karim.

The conflicts in Aceh has reached to a new development as the
separatist group, which had flatly rejected the option of special
autonomy for Aceh through the Nangroe Aceh bill, has shown signs
of compromise, by giving comments on the special autonomy bill
which is being deliberated by the House of Representatives.

But GAM spokesman for the joint committee Sofyan Ibrahim Tiba
said: "We only want to comment but our comments do not mean our
acceptance."

Responding to Jakarta's request for the rebel group to present
its armed wing commander Teungku Abdullah Syafi'ie in the
September meeting and to give a written guarantee that the rebels
would not disturb any facilities belonging to the giant gas
company ExxonMobil Oil, Sofyan said the two proposals were all
irrelevant with the dialog.

In a fresh outbreak of violence in Aceh, at least nine people,
including four security officers, three rebels and two civilians,
were killed in a series of incidents that took place from
Saturday until Monday morning, officials said.

Aceh's Law and Order Security Operation deputy spokesman
police Comr. Sudarsono said the latest incident took place on
Monday morning when alleged rebels murdered 49-year-old
Amiruddin, the father of Police Sgt. Edi Sabara who was also
killed by separatists in Lampu-uk village in Aceh Besar regency
on Saturday.

Amiruddin had been kidnapped by the rebels and his body was
found also in Lampu-uk village on Monday morning, the officer
said.

The other fatal incidents were recorded in North Aceh, Pidie,
and East Aceh. Police Sgt. Taji Surbakti was shot dead by rebels
on Sunday afternoon, while two rebels were killed during
gunfights with security forces in Pidie regency on Saturday.

Pvt. Harianto was killed during a rebel ambush on a group of
military officers in Idi, East Aceh on Sunday, and a GAM rebel
was also killed during a pursuit of the attackers in Seunebok
village, also in East Aceh.

The bodies of two civilians were found in Tangse village,
Pidie and Kuala Simpang Ulim, East Aceh on Sunday. (50/emf/edt)