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Indonesia’s Megawati Urges Warring Factions To Observe Aceh Truce
by Kazi Mahmood for IslamOnline
JAKARTA (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Indonesian Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri said that all parties should observe the humanitarian pause agreement in Aceh, particularly stressing that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) should take heed of her appeals.
Megawati had earlier held a meeting with Henry Dunant Center (HDC) Director Martin Griffiths to discuss the Aceh situation.
The HDC previously brokered talks between the GAM and President Abdurrahman Wahid during his December visit to Aceh. The GAM, however, declined to meet with Wahid at the time.
Megawati agreed that the GAM had done much to implement the humanitarian pause between itself and the Indonesian government, the second stage of which will end on January 15, 2001 - the deadline set by the Indonesian Army and Police in Aceh to decide on their future involvement in the restive province.
Megawati said if the agreement reached in Switzerland in March 2000 were obeyed, it would lead to mutual trust between the government and the GAM. She pointed out that this could produce a condition conducive for discussions on substantive matters in efforts to settle the ongoing and lengthy political problems between the two factions.
The vice president said the Indonesian government was determined to settle the Aceh problem through peaceful mechanisms for the sake of the political and territorial integrity of Indonesia.
The GAM has not ruled out dialogue with Indonesian authorities, but has imposed conditions that the Army and Police insist are impossible to accept.
GAM leaders said to negotiators in Geneva they would consider talks with Wahid’s administration only after a pull-out of armed forces and police from the province.
They have also urged foreign companies operating in the region to stop operations and wait until the territory is finally freed from Jakarta’s grasp.
Aceh is an oil and gas-producing region with several other natural resources vital for the survival of the entire Indonesian Republic.
Separatists under GAM’s banner have been fighting for an independent Islamic Aceh and are calling for a referendum to decide their political future.
Tensions continued to rise in Aceh province yesterday during ongoing police raids, while the central government and GAM prepared for a series of peace talks to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, January 6-10.
Security forces, ignoring the truce, on Wednesday commenced a series of raids on places they suspect may be used to house GAM members.
Aceh Police launched the raid at a shopping complex in Aceh Besar city, where several suspicious documents belonging to the lesser-known Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front were found.
Also seized were some envelopes owned by the ASNLF, a camcorder and a video compact disc of the GAM’s December 4 anniversary celebrations. Police also arrested a supporter of the separatist movement identified as Baihaqi Zamzani.
Security forces also raided Lambirah village in Sukamakmur subdistrict, Aceh Besar. The raid, led by Hartono, was highlighted by a gunfight between police and suspected separatists.
The violence started after police attempted to stop four people traveling on two motorcycles.
The motorcyclists stopped at a hut in a hilly area 35 kilometers north of Banda Aceh where associates opened fire on the approaching police. The police returned fire and the alleged separatists fled into the hills. No were casualties reported.
Another raid conducted jointly by the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and police at Alue Surdang village in North Aceh, netted several homemade pistols, GAM documents and other pieces of evidence.
Security forces also confiscated binoculars, seven rounds of M-16ammunition, a motorcycle, communications devices and a police uniform.
Another gunfight between GAM members and the TNI (Armed Forces of Indonesia) took place Wednesday in the East Aceh subdistrict of Idi Rayeuk. Again, no casualties were reported.
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