Soraya Permatasari, Jakarta – Three Indonesian soldiers were injured in a clash with Aceh rebels, as peace talks aimed at ending three decades of conflict continued near Helsinki.
The soldiers were shot by the rebels in a fight yesterday in Pasie Raja sub-district in the south of Aceh, Ari Mulya Asnawi, a military spokesman said in a statement today. Another clash occurred in the district of Aceh Besar with no injuries, the statement said.
Six separatist rebels from the Free Aceh Movement, or GAM, have been killed in several clashes since a third round of peace negotiations started on April 12 near Helsinki, Asnawi said in a phone interview yesterday. The Indonesian government rejected a request by the rebels for a cease-fire during the talks that resumed in January in the wake of the Dec. 26 tsunami which left more than 164,000 dead or missing in the province.
Fighting has been going on since 1976 in the resource rich province.
Aceh had 9.66 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves in 2003, or about 5.5 percent of Indonesia's total, BPMigas, the state oil and gas regulator, said in a report published last year. The region also has strategic importance as the gateway to the Strait of Malacca, one of the busiest sea lanes in the world, with 40 percent of global trade passing through the waterway.
Next meeting
Both sides, the Indonesian delegates and GAM leaders, said progress is being made in the discussions and the next meeting will probably take place next month or early June.
Damien Kingsbury, an adviser to GAM, said in a phone interview the proposal for both political settlement and economic issues was put in writing yesterday.
"The political framework of self government for Aceh has been put on the table and how that would be manifested in a concrete form is now being considered," Kingsbury said. The meeting, which is scheduled to end Apr. 17, also discussed in more detail issues surrounding the allocation of natural resources. In the next few days, the negotiation will focus on security arrangements.
Indonesia's government estimates there are 2,500 rebels still operating after a government military offensive that began in May 2003 killed half the force.
More than 12,000 people have died in the insurgency. The tsunami disaster forced the government to let relief agencies and international military units enter the province, which was previously closed to overseas visitors.
Going well
"Talks are going well so far. There is no agreement yet but we now know what they want," Djalil said in a phone interview today. "There are requests which we cannot fulfill because it will mean a violation to our nation's constitution but some others can be fulfilled," Djalil said, declining to provide details.
Indonesia's government said before the talks started its goals at the meeting are for the rebels to accept its offer for special autonomy and to agree on a permanent end to the conflict. Under a special autonomy package, Aceh has been given greater power to determine policies and manage its own finances, government officials have said.
Djalil said the government may consider involvement of an external monitoring body in Aceh "if it is for the sake of keeping a peaceful situation."
The Crisis Management Group set up by former Finish President Martti Ahtisaari, is mediating the talks. "We thought about ending talks sooner but CMI thinks we should take the advantage of the momentum and get through a complete agenda before we go our separate ways," Kingsbury said.