Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The "positive and constructive" results achieved during the third round of peace talks between the government of Indonesia and leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will be worthless if violence prevails in the province, a senior GAM official has said.
"The peace talks between the leaders of the two warring sides will mean nothing if the violence continues in the field and the Acehnese people continue to suffer," GAM political affairs officer Mohammed Nur Djuli told The Jakarta Post on Monday from Sweden.
"We are now waiting for the next step from the Indonesian government so as to see whether they have the willingness to support the ongoing peace process. I don't want to speculate about the relationship between Indonesia's civilian government and its military, but I can guarantee you that we [the GAM leaders] can control our fighters in the field," he said.
Mohammed expressed optimism, however, that both sides could reach an agreement in the field by July. If not, "why should we come to Helsinki? Let's say that we are cautiously optimistic."
Late last week, the government and GAM leaders ended a third round of peace negotiations in Helsinki, Finland, with both sides citing progress. The two sides have agreed to hold another round of peace talks from May 26 to May 31 in a bid to seek a lasting solution to end the almost three decades long conflict that has claimed at least 12,000 lives, mostly civilians.
The latest round of peace talks, which started in January (also in Helsinki), was triggered by the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster, which killed around 160,000 people in Aceh alone, and intended to pave the way for the international humanitarian aid operation. It was the first time the two sides had met at the negotiating table since May 2003, when Jakarta declared martial law and launched a major military offensive in the province.
Aceh has been a battleground between government and rebel forces since 1976 when GAM launched its independence campaign for the oil rich province, angered by what it said was Jakarta's pillaging of the province's resources.
From the field, GAM spokesman in East Aceh, Teungku Kafrawi, hailed the outcome of the latest Aceh talks and vowed that the guerrillas would follow whatever orders were given by their political leaders. "We are the military wing. We are not talking about politics, but follow the orders of GAM's leaders," Kafrawi told the Post.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Military (TNI) said that it would continue to hunt down rebels in Aceh despite the latest peace talks. "Of course, whatever the results of the peace talks in Helsinki, we'll happily welcome them. But up here, the operation aimed at cracking down on the secessionist movement still goes on," Aceh Military Operations Commander Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya said from his headquarters in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.
"Every action of the TNI is based on government decisions. But, if you ask me, a cease-fire would be useless," he told Reuters. "GAM will only use a cease-fire as a way to consolidate its forces, and only a peace deal will be able to end the fighting," added Endang, who is due to be promoted to Army Headquarters in Jakarta.
Endang, however, denied previous reports that the TNI planned to boost the number of its troops in Aceh. Currently, there are at least 38,000 troops in the province.
One significant step forward made during the latest Helsinki talks was the acceptance of the principle of outside monitoring. The European Union, which has helped finance the negotiations, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have been mentioned as possible monitors, according to former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, who mediated at the talks.