While visiting the province of Aceh on Tuesday, President

While visiting the province of Aceh on Tuesday, President
Megawati Soekarnoputri expressed her confidence that the province
could "re-emerge" within two years if the people managed to
maintain security and peace.

Without peace in society, it is hard for the province to
develop itself.

Peace and security can only be preserved if trust between the
government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is properly
maintained.

Restraining themselves from doing something in violation of
the Dec. 9 deal is not easy for either the government or the Free
Aceh Movement (GAM). Technically, there will be differences in
the understanding of the deal.

We hope there is no more violence in Aceh. After the
transition period, development in Aceh will be able to continue.

The people of Aceh are the key to maintaining peace. They need
to have the courage to say "no" to the (possibility) of violence.
They have to say: "We are fed up with violence."

-- Koran Tempo, Jakarta

Holiday diplomacy proves futile

The abortion of Taiwan "President" Chen Shui-bian's scheduled
three-day "holiday visit" to Indonesia once again proves that
there is no market for Taiwan authorities' long-held "holiday
diplomacy" in the international community.
It is not strange for Indonesia to make such a clear refusal.

When Annette Lu, a notorious Taiwan independence diehard, made
a clandestine "holiday visit" to the Southeast Asian country in
mid-August, she was met with cold shoulders.

By not allowing Chen to enter the country, the Indonesian
Government proved to be a trustworthy promise-keeper after it has
promised to abide by the one-China principle on many occasions.

Chen and his like should not be purely regarded as private
travelers given their persistent scheme to split Taiwan from
China.

It has also been proven that they have never confined their
activities abroad to mere sight-seeing, tourism, and other
leisure pastimes.

On the contrary, when making overseas tours, Chen, Lu, and
other pro-independence people have never let slip the chance to
promote their political purpose.

Since assuming power in Taiwan in 2000, Chen has always
refused to embrace the one-China principle, deliberately
postponing talks on cross-Straits direct links with the mainland.

Economically, Chen, like his predecessor Lee Teng-hui,
trumpets the "southbound" policy, encouraging Taiwan investors to
transfer their funds from the mainland to Southeast Asian
regions.

Diplomatically, Taiwan authorities have consistently clung to
a "pragmatic diplomacy" view, attempting to seek more
international influence and bring about the de facto independence
of the island.

Facing a long-standing economic slump on the island, "holiday
diplomacy" or "travel diplomacy" has become the main form for
Taiwan leaders to make attempts at political moves.

However Taiwan leaders cannot easily cheat other countries
although they wrap their independence conspiracy under various
shrouds. -- China Daily, Beijing