RI to discuss Aceh mission mandate

Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Indonesia will discuss the mandate and mechanisms of an Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) with the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during a two-day meeting here beginning on Monday.

Foreign ministry spokesman Yuri Oktavian Thamrin said the foreign mission would supervise the disarmament of separatist rebels and the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s withdrawal from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

He also said the foreign mission should consist mainly of civilians, with some military members allowed as advisers.

"The Aceh Monitoring Mission is not a peacekeeping force or a military deployment. As the minister has already stated, the mission will help build trust and confidence that Indonesia is honoring the peace agreement that will be signed on Aug. 15," he said.

The European Union has agreed to send 200 observers to Aceh. Indonesia has also invited five ASEAN countries -- Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei -- to join the monitoring mission.

Yuri said all five countries had indicated their intention to send observers to Aceh.

He said the Ministry of Communications and Information would manage the mission.

"The foreign affairs ministry will contribute its expertise and experience in monitoring missions and peacekeeping operations. We will support the ministry (of communications and information)," he said.

The foreign monitors will remain in Aceh for six months, with the possibility of the mission being extended an additional six months. They could start moving into place as early as Aug. 16, the day after the peace agreement is scheduled to be formalized by the two sides.

Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a draft peace deal in a meeting in Helsinki on July 17.

According to the draft agreement, Indonesia will reduce its military and police presence in Aceh, and the rebels will turn in their weapons.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said this initial process would take three months, starting in September.

GAM representatives said on Friday the group would begin laying down their weapons as soon as Indonesian troops started withdrawing from the province.

Sofyan Dawood, a spokesman for GAM, also dismissed suggestions by the Indonesian Military that there was disagreement within GAM over the peace deal.

As part of the deal, the rebels gave up their demand for independence in return for some form of political representation in Aceh.

On Thursday, Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said his troops would refrain from combat in Aceh and would begin withdrawing by mid-September. The government also announced an amnesty program, with 2,053 rebels convicted of subversion scheduled to be released from prison on Aug. 30.

"We are ready to hand over our weapons as the Indonesian Military begins reducing its troop numbers," Dawood was quoted by AP as saying on Friday. "We will abide by the Helsinki peace accord."