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.