War looms large in Aceh

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The likelihood of war is growing in Aceh as the deadline passed for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist group to drop its demands for independence and disarm in order to save a fragile peace accord in the troubled province.

However, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday that military action would not start until after the government consulted the House of Representatives.

House leaders had requested a consultation meeting on May 14, but the government requested a delay until next week.

No reason was given for the delay, raising speculation that the government was under heavy pressure to hold back military operations against GAM, which has been fighting for independence for the resource-rich province since 1976.

Last-ditch efforts by peace facilitator Henry Dunant Centre (HDC) of Switzerland to get the rebels to talk with the government failed to bring the two parties back to the negotiating table.

"There is no positive news that I can tell you," HDC spokesman Steve Daly told The Jakarta Post in Banda Aceh on Monday.

Daly said that HDC leaders, including "wise man" Anthony Zinni, and diplomats from the United States, the European Union and Japan had tried to put pressure on the GAM leadership in Stockholm over the weekend, but to no avail.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said here on Monday that GAM had not responded aptly to the government's ultimatum.

"We do not want to waste our energy while the situation in Aceh worsens and GAM continues its demands for independence," Hassan said.

The government had insisted that GAM accept the special autonomy arrangement and lay down its weapons in order to resume peace talks aimed at salvaging a peace pact signed in December 2002. The rebels rejected the conditions.

Susilo said President Megawati Soekarnoputri had yet to decide when to start the military campaign in Aceh, where over 10,000 people, mostly innocent civilians, had been killed since 1976.

"The decree to officially begin joint operations is ready (for signing), a consultation meeting with the House will be conducted before the issuance of the decree," Susilo said hours before the deadline passed on Monday at midnight.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) leadership has prepared around 6,000 troops, some of whom have already left for Aceh, to back up the 26,000 soldiers already stationed in the province. Some military leaders have suggested that 50,000 soldiers were needed to crush 5,000 GAM rebels.

TNI Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto told legislators on Monday that at least Rp 1.2 trillion in additional funds was needed to finance a six-month military operation in Aceh.

Speaking at a hearing with House Commission I for security affairs, Endriartono acknowledged that it was difficult for troops to differentiate between GAM rebels and Acehnese civilians.

"Frankly speaking, I cannot guarantee no accidents," he said, commenting on possible civilian casualties.

However, Endriartono pledged maximum efforts to minimize civilians casualties. "We have identified some (GAM) leaders and locations. We are just waiting for D day," he said.

TNI will not ask Acehnese civilians to leave their villages but would force GAM to leave the villages, he said without elaborating.

Meanwhile in Aceh, the province was mostly quiet on Monday as most Acehnese heeded a call by GAM leaders to strike to protest the government's decision to launch a military operation in Aceh.

Provincial capital Banda Aceh was tense as security personnel patrolled the town, which has a 370,000 population, in full battle gear. Many stores and schools were closed and public transportation did not operate. As night fell, the power went off for hours.

Meanwhile, more than 50 international peace monitors withdrew from Aceh on Monday. Forty-three 43 Thais, eight Filipinos and one Norwegian departed from Banda Aceh airport aboard a C-130 military aircraft, witnesses said.

David Gorman, the representative in Banda Aceh for HDC, which mediated the Dec. 9 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, said the monitors would stay in Indonesia for the moment as a final attempt by HDC to arrange talks between the two sides continued.