Talks with GAM to continue, says Alwi Shihab
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian foreign minister Alwi Shihab said talks with leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) resistance to find a solution to the violence-hit province would continue in Geneva at the end of the month.
Alwi claimed that Indonesia's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Hasan Wirayuda was expected to hold a second round of talks with self-exiled GAM leader Hasan Tiro later this month in Switzerland.
"After that, if necessary before the President holds talks with Hasan Tiro, the foreign affairs minister will meet Hasan first," Alwi said after a hearing with House of Representatives Commission I on Tuesday.
On the supposed first meeting between the ambassador and Hasan, Alwi said the two parties had reached a consensus to halt any form of violence in Aceh.
"The wording is 'to stop all forms of violence', not a cease- fire," he said.
The upcoming meeting is expected to discuss various aspects concerning the peace and future of Aceh.
Alwi nevertheless underlined that talks were held under the presumption that Aceh would remain a part of the Republic of Indonesia.
"In the dialog, both parties will certainly accommodate many matters. But the most important thing is to maintain Aceh as part of Indonesia," he said.
Despite repeated claims from top government officials, including President Abdurrahman Wahid, GAM leaders have repeatedly denied that any negotiations have taken place.
Even if the talks are ongoing, it seems to have had no impact on events in Aceh as Indonesian forces continue their raids on suspected rebel strongholds while separatist forces in turn have also been unrelenting in their ambushes.
The death toll in the first two months of the year has surpassed the 200 mark.
But a moderate section of the rebel group, GAM's Consultative Council (MP GAM), which is based in Malaysia, has urged that talks be held in a bid to end the violence.
Teuku Don Zulfahri, the secretary-general of MP GAM, urged "the nation of Aceh" to hold a dialog with the Indonesian government.
"The nation of Aceh means that all elements of the community in Aceh are included, not only GAM," Zulfahri said in a statement.
"Because through a dialog all parties concerned will put forward their views, thereby paving the way for the right solution," he said.
Zulfahri belongs to what is known as the more moderate faction of GAM, led by the group's internal minister, Husaini Hasan, who also resides in Malaysia.
MP GAM also urged security forces not to target innocent civilians in its campaign to quell separatist rebels.
"If soldiers and police want to take action against provocateurs, security disturbers, go ahead. But please don't target civilians. The Aceh case cannot be solved by military operations," he appealed.
Meanwhile, the armed wing commander of GAM in North Aceh, Darwis Jeunib, denied on Tuesday the claims made by police that the rebel group had bought firearms manufactured by Indonesian military-owned company PT Pindad.
He called the allegations "a cheap provocation".
Tribunal
In a related development, Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman said 1,000 policemen would be deployed to secure the joint civilian-military tribunal of the Bantaqiah massacre case, which is slated to take place early in April.
"I predict the trial to go on for at least a month. Therefore, we have to be prepared to avoid possible disruptions," he told provincial councillors in Banda Aceh on Tuesday.
About two dozen military personnel will go on trial for a massacre which occurred in West Aceh last year.
During the incident, troops allegedly killed Islamic boarding school teacher Tengku Bantaqiah, his first wife, his students and dozens of farmers in the remote Beutong area on July 23 last year.
The military maintains Bantaqiah was a supporter of GAM and the death occurred as a result of an exchange of gunfire.
Bachrumsyah added that plainclothes officers would also be deployed in a bid to detect the possibility of unrest during the trial.
"We've trained and prepared the officers. We will take firm action against any party initiating chaos during the trial. Therefore, we ask that prospective court visitors behave in an orderly manner," he said.
Bachrumsyah also revealed that 538 security officers died during the third phase of the Sadar Rencong operations which lasted from May 1999 to February 2000.
The operation was aimed at restoring law and order in the troubled province, which also left 378 security members wounded and 107 others missing.
On the other side, 153 rebels and armed gang members died.
Bachrumsyah also said 643 civilians died in the past 10 months.
"We will continue operations against rebels while at the same time trying our best to protect the people," he said. (50/edt/dja)