Thousands of Acehnese welcome: Susilo in Aceh

Nani Farida and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh/Jakarta

Receiving a warm welcome from thousands of Acehnese in the Gayo subdistrict of Central Aceh, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged to focus more attention on regencies in Aceh supporting a unitary state.

During the meeting, which was held in an open field in Takengon, Susilo handed the national flag to local tribal and religious leaders and they together sang the national anthem Indonesia Raya.

Susilo also held a dialog with victims of violence by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) with a promise that the government would provide them with financial assistance.

The minister said he appreciated the Gayo people's nationalism to defend a unitary state. He said the locals should be cautious over the presence of rebels trying to fight for the province's separation.

He said he was proud of the late Syarifuddin Prawiranegara, who once led Indonesia from the regency.

He pledged that he would ask the central government to give adequate attention to the regency and to others supporting a unitary state.

"Central Aceh is a national asset, but it is marginalized," he said.

"The central government must pay special attention to the regencies to improve people's welfare so that no one will demand the province's independence."

He said the government would likely make development programs a priority in the three regencies, because the situation in the region was relatively more stable than in other regencies.

He also said he was seeking input from locals before the government announced its decision for the province on Aug. 19.

Susilo is scheduled to visit Meulaboh in West Aceh and Kutacane in Southeast Aceh. Representatives of West, Southeast and Central Aceh met Susilo in Jakarta last month to ask for the formation of a new province.

Susilo's first visit to the province met with objections to the government's plan to impose a state of civil emergency in the province.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, a member of the independent team for Aceh, Syafii Ma'arif, said that the government should make time for a dialog and ensure law enforcement in the restive province.

"It is not possible to set a one or two-week deadline to solve the Aceh issue, we have to give one or two years or more for it," Syafii told The Jakarta Post.

He was commenting on a statement by Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto that the government should set a clear dateline for the dialog.

Arguments between those who want a dialog and those favoring a military approach have intensified as the government will announce its new policy for Aceh on Monday.

"The Aceh problem is so complicated that I agree we have to solve it immediately, but it will take at least another year," the chairman of the Muhammadiyah organization said.