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.