Miswar, Banda Aceh – The chairperson of the Acehnese Popular Democratic Resistance Front (FPDRA), Thamrin Ananda, is calling on all parties not behave in a counter-productive manner and threaten the ideals of the peace process in Aceh.

Ananda conveyed this in response to the vigorous objections by members of the House of Representatives (DPR) to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement.

Ananda also added that the position being taken by certain groups in the DPR is far different from the wishes of the Acehnese people themselves. This can be seen from the absence of opposition from the Acehnese people to the peace process and the continuing efforts by the elite in Jakarta to oppose the MoU who are not in fact Acehnese people.

Efforts to thwart the peace process in Aceh have also begun to be carried out by retired military officers who are consolidating to oppose the outcome of the Helsinki peace negotiations. "And this is something we very much regret when the Acehnese people are [now] starting to enjoy a sense of peace and [on the other hand] there are parties who want to destroy these hopes for peace", explained Ananda.

Furthermore, the chairperson of FPDRA hopes that all parties can restrain themselves for the sake of peace in Aceh. In particular Ananda is asking the DPR and the military – both retired and active officers – to stop provocations that could result in bankrupting the peace process in Aceh as occurred during the earlier period of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

[Translated by James Balowski.]