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GAM Says it Will Not Attack Ships in Malacca Straights
JAKARTA, Sept 7 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The separatist movement in the province of Aceh, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), on Thursday rejected allegations that it wanted to attack ships in the Straits of Malacca.
A news report on Tuesday prompted a massive alert from Indonesian and Malaysian coastal authorities, doubling their surveillance in the strategic straits used by commercial vessels.
The GAM said the statement by its spokesman for East Aceh, Ishak Daud, was misinterpreted and had been distorted by Indonesian news agencies.
It said the distortion was another attempt by the Indonesians to distract the world's attention from the on-going military offensive in Aceh.
The GAM insisted that the violence in the territory was the making of Indonesian soldiers from the Armed Forces of Indonesia (TNI).
The statement sent to IslamOnline added that the GAM's supreme leadership gave their assurance to the international community that "it is not our policy to hinder shipping communication nor thinking of imposing any restriction or rule in the Straits of Malacca and beyond, now or in the future.
"We shall continue to respect and abide to the standard international shipping rules and practices prevailed to all mariners," the statement said.
Conversely, the GAM has accused the TNI of being involved in increased piracy in the region, saying there were strong indications that the "underpaid renegade Indonesian armed forces, or their associated privateers, were actually involved in the past piracy cases" within the vital sea lanes and adjacent waters of the vast Malay Archipelago.
The Straits of Malacca are constantly patrolled by Indonesian naval crafts. In the case of Aceh, Indonesia has announced the additional deployment of some 12 warships as a measure to seal off coastal waters within an on-going military offensive launched against Acehnese independence seekers.
"We therefore consider that Indonesia is responsible for any piracy or shipping disruption that occurred in these waters," the statement added.
In addition, the GAM says it had no quarrel with ASEAN member countries other than Indonesia, as the latter is trying to exert colonial ambitions over Aceh.
"As a close neighbor, naturally, Aceh or Acheh [as the GAM calls it] would like to forge closer relationships in all aspects with its ASEAN neighbors in [the] future.
"This we believe would help to establish genuine and lasting peace, stability and prosperity for the region.
"Indonesia is continuously conducting its undeclared genocide policy against the Achehnese who are struggling to free themselves from the Javanese-dominated colonialism," it said.
Meanwhile, Students and rights activists in Aceh are criticizing a proposed visit by Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri to Bandah Aceh, which was cancelled on September 1st and rescheduled for this Saturday.
The Jakarta-based Acehnese Student and Youth Association, and the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA), in Banda Aceh said the visit would not make any difference
Both the students and SIRA said in separate statements that the President's visit was merely a courtesy gesture that would contribute nothing to sincere efforts to end the conflict in the province.
The students' written statement was signed by association chairman Fajran Zain and secretary Hafas Furqani.
"We also urge that President Megawati be consistent in implementing all programs to resolve the conflict and stop conducting experimental actions which will only lose people's trust. Just concentrate on the existing programs, not the pseudo-actions," the statement said.
SIRA spokesman Faisal Ridha said that conflict in Aceh was not related to the economy, Shari'ah Islam (the implementation of Islamic Law), or special autonomy.
"It's a question of oppression by one country toward another. If this core problem is not dealt with, the conflict will continue and Jakarta's enticement to provide a larger amount of money for Aceh will not be fulfilled," Faisal said.
The student and youth association also demanded that military measures be stopped and that negotiations involving all elements in Aceh be encouraged.
The statement said that the fact that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would provide maximum security for Megawati, indicated that Aceh really was an insecure place, even for a President.
"Then how about the people [civilians] of Aceh who need proper protection from the military oppression?" it added.
With additional reporting by Kazi Mahmood
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