Talks with GAM to continue, says Alwi Shihab
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)