Susilo voices optimism over Aceh peace talks
Susilo voices optimism over Aceh peace talks
Agencies, Tokyo, Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono voiced optimism on Thursday about the chances of ending the separatist war in Aceh after the latest talks in Finland.
Susilo said the best solution would be for rebels to accept autonomy for the tsunami-hit province on Sumatra's northern tip where more than 12,000 people have died in fighting since 1976.
"I'm glad to tell you that actually the talk is moving well even (though) there are still some issues that we have to settle down," Susilo told a Tokyo symposium hosted by the business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
"The talk is under way. I'm optimistic," he said as quoted by AFP. "The prospect is, I could say, promising."
Former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, a career diplomat who mediated the latest talks in Helsinki that ended Tuesday, said Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) could reach a long-sought agreement.
But Susilo, who is on a four-day visit to Japan, declined to give details about any peace draft, stressing that Jakarta and the separatist rebels needed to continue negotiations. The next round of talks will start in July in Helsinki.
"What we need is a peaceful Aceh, a prosperous Aceh and a stable Aceh as part of the Republic of Indonesia," the President said.
"The best solution is having an Aceh with special autonomy status and having an Aceh that is more peaceful and that can develop its own prosperity -- democracy based on the system that has been adopted by our country," he said.
GAM began its campaign for independence in the 1970s out of anger at what it said was Jakarta's exploitation of the province's oil and gas resources.
Aceh was declared a military operation area between 1989 and 1998, and Indonesian troops were deployed to quash the separatist movement. Soldiers have since been accused by human rights groups of widespread violations.
The two sides returned to the peace table after Aceh was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster on Dec. 26, which left at least 129,000 people dead and destroyed entire towns.
In Jakarta, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said he was unaware about the latest development in the Aceh peace talks.
He said he had no idea about a plan to involve a foreign monitoring team in Aceh, nor a cease fire agreement during the six-day talks in Helsinki.
"The TNI has no idea as to whether delegations from the Indonesian government and GAM have agreed on a cease fire agreement. All I know is that the two parties are currently seeking a permanent resolution to stop the conflict. It means GAM must have a willingness to lay down their weapons and to accept the special autonomy concept, which has been drafted by Indonesia," Endriartono said after a discussion on defense strategy and advancement at the Ministry of Defense on Thursday.
"I'm not supposed to make any further comment, because there have been no official reports on the outcome of the Helsinki talks. Once the President approves the reports, I will share my ideas on how to restore peace in Aceh."
Despite the encouraging developments in the peace process, armed conflict has not ceased in the field. In the latest security operation to quell an alleged separatist rebellion, military troops shot dead three GAM members and rescued six people they said were being held as GAM hostages.
A TNI officer said the rebels were killed in a clash on Tuesday in waters near the Strait of Malacca off Aceh's northern district of Pidie. A skirmish broke out after troops ran across a boat belonging to the rebels. Local fishermen had earlier told the TNI that GAM members had been extorting money from them, he said.
The six hostages were "saved" after they were told to jump off the boat before it was blown up by the soldiers, the officer said.