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