RI, GAM must resume Aceh peace talks: Hamzah
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Banda Aceh
Vice President Hamzah Haz called on the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on Saturday to resume peace talks to save the peace agreement signed in December 2002.
He also suggested that the meeting, which the government had requested to discuss violations to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) signed last December, be held in Indonesia.
"GAM and the Indonesian government must cool down first," Hamzah was quoted by detik.com as saying in Pasuruan, East Java on Saturday.
"If possible, we should negotiate in this country," Hamzah said.
The government decided to withdraw from a long-awaited Joint Council meeting after the rebels insisted on holding it on April 27 instead of 25, as it had previously suggested.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is currently in Poland, the last leg of her three-nation tour that also took her to Romania and Russia, said on Saturday that she had ordered the withdrawal from the meeting.
"I received reports directly from Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono). I said 'disperse' (stop the negotiations)," Megawati was quoted by Antara as saying in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday.
"We shall collect all information, including that from former foreign affairs minister (Ali) Alatas as special envoy to Sweden and shall decide the next steps," Megawati said.
Hamzah ruled out any military operation in the near future, stressing that there were still many ways to resolve the Aceh situation peacefully.
"What is clear is that the government will not rush into military operations. Even a fugitive is not shot immediately, but given warning shots: one, two, and three. So, the road is still very long," Hamzah said.
The Henry Dunant Centre (HDC), which brokered the peace agreement signed in December 2002, said on Thursday it was seeking new dates for the meeting.
The government and GAM agreed in December to end hostilities in the province, where over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, had been killed.
GAM, which has been fighting for independence for resource- rich Aceh since 1976, accepted the special autonomy arrangement for Aceh and agreed to lay down its arms. The government, for its part, agreed to stop all military operations there and reposition troops from offensive to defensive positions. Both sides, however, failed to comply with the accord and the April 25 meeting was seen as the last hope of saving the agreement, to end the 26-year conflict.
Meanwhile, police in Aceh have tightened security in the province as violence worsened, with the capital, Banda Aceh, increasingly deserted in the evenings.
Banda Aceh Police chief Adj. Comm. Sr. Alfons T. said on Saturday the police had increased security measures for members and offices of the Joint Security Committee (JSC), including those of GAM and HDC, as well as vital installations, such as PT Telkom, PT PLN, banks and markets.
"Police officers have been instructed to step up security for offices, houses and members of JSC and HCD in Banda Aceh," Alfons said.
On Friday, troops said they shot dead three separatists in Aceh during a skirmish in the Alue Raya area of South Aceh.
Local military spokesman Maj. Eddi Fernandi said the encounter took place while soldiers were carrying out a "security operation" in the area. Troops found a handgun at the scene.
No immediate confirmation from GAM was available.