RI protest shows of support for Aceh independence
RI protest shows of support for Aceh independence
Nani Farida and Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe,
Medan
The government plans to file a complaint with the Joint Security
Committee (JSC) against the hoisting of Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
flags and shouts demanding independence by locals during the
inauguration of a peace zone in the Pidie regency district of
Tiro on Saturday.
Sr. Comr. Adjie R. Ramdja, an Indonesian representative on the
JSC, said on Sunday that "the moves were provocative and must not
be allowed to happen during the peace development process in
Aceh".
"The JSC has agreed not to tolerate provocative actions," he
claimed, referring to the peace monitors from the Henry Dunant
Centre (HDC), which facilitated the signing of the Cessation of
Hostilities agreement in Geneva last year.
A show of support for independence was also mounted during the
inauguration of another peace zone in the Bireun district of
Peusangan on Saturday.
Adjie said the moves violated an agreement between the
government, GAM and JSC that prohibited any moves in support of
independence for the natural-resource rich province.
A representative of GAM on the JSC, Teungku Nashiruddin bin
Ahmed, said that GAM had no prior knowledge about the show of
support for independence in Tiro.
"We must understand that they have been under pressure for a
long time," he said, adding that the moves were spontaneous.
HDC spokesman in Aceh David Gorman said that the center would
continue promoting the truce among the locals.
He said the Cessation of Hostilities agreement only dealt with
improving security and did not stipulate anything about a
referendum or independence options.
The agreement, aimed at ending the 26-year-long conflict in
Aceh, requires GAM to disarm and the military to pull back its
troops from peace zones around Aceh and to change its aggressive
positions into defensive ones, as well as for the Mobile Brigade
paramilitary police to be converted into a regular law
enforcement institution.
Later on Sunday, the JSC inaugurated two more peace zones in
the North Aceh district of Simpang Kramat and East Aceh district
of Idi Tunong respectively. No incidents were reported during
these ceremonies.
Separately in the North Sumatra capital of Medan, Army Chief
of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu denied military involvement in
the recent attack on the JSC offices in the Central Aceh district
of Takengon, which had been declared a peace zone.
Two monitors were wounded during the mob attack last week
while several monitors were taken hostage for several hours. The
monitoring team has been temporarily withdrawn to Banda Aceh but
will resume its activities pending an investigation of the
incident and the renovation of the offices.
The military say the attack was sparked by the JSC's failure
to heed the complaints of pro-Jakarta residents regarding alleged
extortion by GAM, while GAM says the attackers were members of
Jakarta-funded militias.
Ryamizard described any parties accusing the military of being
involved in the attack as traitors.
Referring to the mob, he said those who opposed the rebel
group "must be defended instead of being accused".