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Jakarta says no way to peace dialog to end Aceh quagmire

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Antara - August 21, 2003

Meaulaboh – Indonesia's chief security minister said Thursday the government would not hold any kind of peace talks with the separatist movement to halt the war in Aceh province.

"The rumor of a dialog with the rebel movement is untrue, because the government continues to concentrate solely on our own integrated operation in Aceh," Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters here.

Accompanied by martial law administrator in Aceh Major General Endang Suwarya, Aceh Police chief Bachrumsya Kasman, and Aceh Vice Governor Azwar Abubakar, Yudhoyono said there would be no dialogs to discuss the unitary state of Indonesia, special autonomy, or the ongoing conflict in the province.

"If a 'certain party' claims that it speaks on behalf of the this government either at home or abroad, it is not true. We will keep concentrating on the integrated operation [war] to make Aceh run well," Yudhoyono added.

He said Jakarta would never surrender to a group of people who wanted to secede from Indonesia. "We will continue to strive to maintain our country's sovereignty until our final goal is achieved," Yudhoyono said, without elaborating on that goal.

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