'This time there's much more will to make it work'

'This time there's much more will to make it work'

The Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) of the European
Union and ASEAN has started its task of monitoring the
implementation of the historic peace agreement between Indonesia
and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The following is an excerpt of
a recent interview with the chief of the mission, Pieter Feith,
who spoke with The Jakarta Post's Tiarma Siboro in Banda Aceh.

Question: Despite the signing of the peace agreement, some
Acehnese were still reluctant to commemorate Indonesia's recent
Independence Day, which falls on Aug. 17, saying they had gained
nothing since independence and would rather raise the GAM flag.
Your comment?

Answer: All Indonesians, including the people of Aceh, should
feel comfortable and happy about Indonesia's Independence Day. So
they should all rejoice on that day as the day of national unity
and reconciliation. We hope next year there will be an even
greater celebration as we hopefully conclude this mission
successfully and as autonomy is set up for Aceh.

GAM's flags will not be tolerated anymore after the signing of
the agreement. As seen in the memorandum of understanding (MoU),
after the elections, the administration can decide upon a new
flag for Aceh and a hymn and other symbols. That is not a
decision for GAM. That is a decision for the elected legislature
and the administration of the future autonomous province of Aceh.

What preparations is AMM doing to carry out its mandate?

We now have an initial presence here to make sure that we are
fully prepared for Sept. 15 (the scheduled withdrawal of non-
organic security forces according to MoU). We are already
assuming tasks that we thought would be expected after Sept. 15.
I'm referring to individual GAM members who are already coming
forward with their arms and the TNI which (began to) withdraw
troops on Monday.

What problems are expected in the field?

It's a question of ensuring security and safety, especially
after they have laid down their arms. But we count on good
arrangements with the police and with the TNI. I was encouraged
by the handling of individual GAM members the other day (who came
to deliver their arms). The weapons were taken into custody at
the local police station and the GAM were treated with respect.
That was exactly how it should be done.

I have also met with GAM leadership in the field. I think they
are very much looking forward to the implementation of this MoU.

They assured us that they would fully comply with the
direction from (their leaders in) Stockholm, not their (local)
commanders.

What if the parties violate points in the agreement?

I have no enforcing power. I think it is entirely sufficient
for me to be able to bring my case to the highest political
authority in Jakarta and the GAM leadership and I expect they
will help me deal with any violations or problems that may arise.

How will you deal with those with weapons but who are not in
uniform, including civilians and possibly militia members?

We have (contact with civil society) and we will ask them to
support our efforts, but my mandate is limited to dealing with
the GAM disarmament and demobilization, as well as with the
withdrawal of TNI and police forces.

There is a provision in the MoU which deals with illegal
weapons and we trust that the TNI and the Indonesian authorities
will see to it that there is no manifestation of the militia
phenomenon.

The collapse of the previous Cessation of Hostilities
Agreement (COHA) was in part because GAM refused to disarm, and
TNI did not withdraw its troops either. How wily you prevent this
from happening again?

I believe that there is another difference between the current
agreement and the COHA. Now there is much political commitment
from the President and the Vice President (Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla), and also from GAM's political
leadership. So, this time we will see a much greater intention to
make it work.

How will you deal with the amnesty issue as it may have
repercussions on politics within Indonesia?

This is the responsibility of the Indonesian government and I
respect that. So, I'm happy being entrusted with the task of
monitoring the human rights situation, but in a forward-looking
manner. I will look into the human rights situation and problems
that may arise with the reintegration (of GAM members) in the
context of the decommissioning process. So I will focus on the
aftermath of the amnesty granting, the decommissioning, and then
I will monitor the human rights implications.

Will you be able to complete all these tasks in the short six
months of your mandate?

What we can do is to complete the decommissioning and the
redeployment, then we will monitor (the MoU implementation) for
another two months, but then we will have less military or
decommissioning expertise. We will then focus on the human rights
situation and the legislation change. We have a community program
with the European Union and we will maintain its presence.

We want to ensure that this whole process will become self-
sustained before we recommend the end of our presence.

Could you elaborate on your task of monitoring the
reintegration of GAM members into society?

We are working together with the International Organization
for Migration. We hope to get a list of amnestied prisoners and
detainees, as well as a list from GAM about its supporting
fighters who are going to lay down their weapons.

These lists will be the basis for registration and then for
tracking and ultimately for giving them assistance.

Active GAM fighters who come out to lay down their weapons
will be given an initial reintegration package. There will be
support to the villages where they go through the Rehabilitation
and Reconstruction Agency (BRR, set up after the tsunami), and we
expect that, also with the assistance of the European Commission,
we can include these people in the program supporting recovery
after the tsunami disaster.