Jakarta – The Indonesian government will not accept the option of a cease-fire offered by GAM [Free Aceh Movement]. The coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Widodo AS, has said that the Indonesian government's mission is fixed, namely the acceptance of special autonomy for Aceh and the complete and permanent termination of conflict.

Widodo said this in response to the GAM request, during the third round of negotiations between Indonesia and GAM in Helsinki, that the Indonesian government take part in a cease-fire.

"The view on the issue of the termination of conflict is that it must be truly permanent. A cease-fire isn't permanent, so we must really look for a solution," Widodo said, following a cabinet session at the Office of the President in Jakarta on Thursday (14 April 2005).

Widodo explained that one measure of the permanent termination of conflict is arms. "At least one measure of it is arms. Now, only if the arms have been handed in or blocked can it be said to be permanent. But we know, don't we, that a cease-fire is just temporary," he said.

According to Widodo, President SBY [Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] wants a permanent resolution. [passage omitted]

When asked about "self government" [this phrase received in English], which GAM had put on the table, Widodo was of the opinion that the concept had already been accommodated in a number of Indonesian laws, such as the Regional Autonomy Law, the Law on Fiscal Balance between the Centre and the Regions and the Special Autonomy Law.

However, when asked whether he was optimistic that the negotiations would produce results, Widodo was reluctant to answer. [passage omitted]

"But whatever is discussed, what is important is that there is an understanding of what we want to achieve, namely the acceptance of special autonomy and the permanent termination of conflict," he stressed.

[BBC Worldwide Monitoring Service.]