Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has won critical support for "firm action on Aceh" that will likely include a military operation.
The go-ahead will be given only after a final attempt to salvage the four-month old peace pact is made, through a last round of talks with the rebel groups later this month.
The Parliament's green light will help the government push forward with its "contingency plan" to crack down on rebel group Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting for independence in the province in three decades, if the peace process falls apart.
In a consultation meeting between key security and economic ministers and parliamentarian leaders yesterday, both parties agreed to wait for the outcome of a meeting between the government and GAM representatives, slated to be held on April 25 in Tokyo.
The Henry Dunant Centre, the mediator of the Cessation of Hostility accord signed by the Jakarta and GAM representatives in December, will facilitate the meeting.
Parliamentary Speaker Akbar Tandjung told a press briefing yesterday: "If all the peaceful efforts to resolve the conflicts have been exhausted, if GAM insists on demanding independence from Indonesia, then we give full trust to the government to take any firm action needed to resolve this problem."
He said a consultation forum for Parliament and government would be formed following the upcoming joint council meeting to monitor the situation in Aceh and talk of what course of action the government would take.
Talks of launching a military operation in Aceh has resurfaced after indications that the peace pact had yielded little progress.
According to the peace pact, GAM was to be disarmed and the Indonesian military was to withdraw from the province gradually. But neither side seemed to be honouring the pact and instead were trading accusations of violating the agreement.
GAM claimed that Indonesian authorities continued to hunt its members, despite the ceasefire and demilitarisation zones, while Jakarta pointed to GAM's apparent reluctance to disarm itself.
But Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reiterated yesterday that military operation would be a last resort in dealing with Aceh.
"If there are no conclusive results within the time frame that we have – which is that GAM accepts our final offer of special autonomy within our territory – and if by the scheduled date of July 9 they have not fully disarmed and continue to extort money from civilians, then we conclude there is no room for peace in Aceh."
He said a military operation in Aceh would be legally justified, based on the 1945 Constitution, the Law on National Defence, the Law on State of Emergency and the Criminal Law.