Violence continues despite peace plan

Violence continues despite peace plan

JAKARTA (JP): Violence continues to plague the restive
province of Aceh ahead of next week's peace accord between the
Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement
(GAM).

A resident of Lambada Lhok village in Aceh Besar regency was
killed on Thursday by an unidentified armed group in a predawn
attack. Witnesses said the man, identified as Subhan, was shot in
front of his house.

Over 300 people have been killed so far this year in Aceh. The
province has seen a violent independence struggle since the late
1970s.

The killing came as the government was preparing to sign a
memorandum of understanding in Geneva next Friday.

State Minister of Human Rights Affairs Hasballah M. Saad
announced on Thursday the Indonesian permanent representative to
the United Nations Office in Geneva, Hassan Wirayuda, would
represent the government. GAM has named Zaini Abdullah to attend
the historic meeting on behalf of the group's exiled leader Hasan
Tiro.

The signing was initially scheduled for Saturday but was
delayed for six days as Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab
intends to witness the historic meeting, said Hasballah.
Hasballah himself will also be present.

"All parties will agree not to use a violent approach anymore.
It means both sides will lay down their arms.

"After that we will begin to build a conducive atmosphere by
rehabilitating the economy, improving the situation and then
developing a political dialog to resolve the problems," Hasballah
said after meeting with President Abdurrahman Wahid at Bina Graha
presidential office.

Hasballah said the memorandum of understanding would
officially be named a memorandum for a humanitarian pause. The
two parties agreed to seal the notandum after they had held three
rounds of informal negotiations, he said.

Tiro, who currently lives in Sweden after fleeing there in
1979, fully backs the peace plan, the minister said.

The Henry Dunant Foundation in Geneva will provide financial
assistance to cover travel expenses to Geneva, he noted.

Hasballah did not elaborate on the foundation's role. The
participation of the Henry Dunant Foundation has seemingly been
influenced by the President's meeting with its executives in
Geneva on Jan. 30.

Abdurrahman himself confirmed the peace plan during a meeting
with the participants of an investment seminar at his office on
Thursday.

The President, however, declined to describe the plan.
"Because in this delicate situation a wrong statement could
capsize the whole thing," he insisted.

Meanwhile, GAM's spokesman in Aceh, Ismail Syahputra, said the
movement's military wing backed the peace accord as it would be
"the first step toward gaining independence".

"Our people on the ground have been notified and we will
support and honor the peace accord," Ismail told The Jakarta Post
by phone.

Ismail claimed the peace accord would contain four main
points: a cease-fire between GAM and security forces; the
withdrawal of troops deployed from outside Aceh; the laying down
of arms; and the prosecution of alleged perpetrators of human
rights abuses in the province.

He was skeptical, however, on whether troops in the troubled
province would also be able to honor the agreement.

"There is still a fifty-fifty chance the military leaders will
be able to control all of the troops on the ground," Ismail
added. (prb/byg/50/51edt)