Syafei's death no threat to peace efforts in Aceh

Syafei's death no threat to peace efforts in Aceh

Antara, Jakarta

The killing of the military commander of the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) Tengku Abdullah Syafei will have no significant impact on
the efforts to bring about peace in the troubled province, an
Acehnese legislator says.

"The resolution to the Aceh question is in the hands of Hasan
Tiro, who is now living in self-imposed exile in Sweden. Dialogue
with the overseas Acehnese should not be halted as those in Aceh
are only carrying out policies mapped out by the leaders in
exile," Ghazali A. Addhan was quoted by Antara as saying on
Wednesday.

Another Acehnese legislator, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, said that
the death of Syafei should serve as a lesson that the fight for
the people's interests should be carried out through peaceful
means.

"Because if we use violence, the stakes are very high," Ferry
said here on Wednesday.

Syafei was killed during a military raid in Jiem-Jiem, Pidie,
on Tuesday afternoon. His wife, Fatimah, and a several guards
were also killed in the shoot-out.

According to Ghazali, it was still too early to assess the
impact of Syafei's death on the efforts to restore peace and
order in the restive province.

"We cannot gauge how big the impact will be. He is considered
a prominent figure," he said.

Meanwhile, political analyst Maswadi Rauf of the University of
Indonesia said on Wednesday that the killing of Syafei and his
wife would weaken GAM's armed struggle, but warned against
thinking that his death would force the Acehnese to abandon their
demand for independence.

"Some Acehnese might get angrier (with the killing of
Syafei)," Maswadi was quoted by Antara as saying.

The Acehnese should not be blamed for demanding secession from
the unitary state of Indonesia because "the insurgency movement
and the prevailing anger among the Acehnese people have been
triggered by the wrong policies introduced by the New Order" in
the province, he said.

"Separation would bring no benefits to either GAM or
Indonesia," Maswadi said, adding that both sides should be come
together through economic and cultural approaches.

"Autonomy is one way of resolving the Aceh question. Religious
and cultural approaches are still needed to keep Aceh (in
Indonesia," he said.