Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The top security minister warned on Monday that Indonesia could withdraw from the peace agreement with the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) if the international monitoring team failed to take "serious action" to stop violence in the restive province.
"We [the Indonesian government] have yet to decide whether or not to withdraw from the peace agreement," Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Monday after giving a clarification about his Rp 3.5 billion (US$388,890) wealth.
"We urge the Joint Security Commission [JSC] to be more professional and take tough action against escalating violence that has continued to occur there. "We all agree with this [agreement] to stop problems in the province ... Therefore, I give this warning before the agreement is broken."
Representatives from the Indonesian government and GAM signed the cessation of hostilities agreement in Geneva on December 9, hailed by many as a breakthrough to end the decades-long armed conflict in Aceh that had claimed more than 10,000 lives.
The police recorded more than 50 violations of the agreement, committed both by Indonesian security forces and rebels, only a week after it was signed. Such violations, however, included alleged extortion by security forces of truck drivers plying routes within the troubled province.
The latest recorded violation occurred late last week when a group of unidentified people, believed to be rebels, shot Chief Pvt. Hadi at Krueng Teunom village, Lammo district, West Aceh. GAM, however, has yet to declare responsibility for these violations.
JSC, with members representing the government, GAM and international monitors, regretted the continuing violations and promised to investigate all incidents thoroughly and impose penalties on truce violators.
Should any party – whether it be Indonesia or GAM – violate the agreement or feel unsatisfied with the sanction or decision taken by JSC, it would be allowed to appeal to the Joint Council as the supreme institution.
"If JSC has no intention of holding an investigation into the violations, I will file a protest so that the Joint Council – which is superior to JSC – can hold a meeting prior to the end of the first period of cessation of hostilities.
In charge in the council are Susilo, Malik Machmud, representing GAM and Martin Griffiths of the Henry Dunant Centre, which mediated the peace talks.
According to the peace agreement, the two parties agreed to cease hostilities within the first two months ending February 9, followed by demilitarization over the subsequent seven months. The two parties, however, have not yet agreed on a demilitarization mechanism for Aceh.