AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Wednesday November 20, 2002
Aceh rebel leaders deny date set for signing peace deal
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Nov 20 (AFP) - Exiled leaders of the Aceh separatist rebel
movement are denying they have set a date to sign an agreement with the Indonesian
government on ending their 26-year-old conflict.
The Swedish-based leadership of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), apparently
contradicting statements from its own fighters on the ground, said in a press release
received Wednesday that it had not agreed to a signing on December 9.
The statement emphasised that no deal has yet been agreed to end one of Southeast
Asia's longest civil wars, which has killed an estimated 10,000 people -- many of them
civilians -- since 1976.
It came from the Aceh-Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), the official name
for GAM, and was signed by chief peace negotiator Zaini Abdullah.
Indonesian leaders said in Jakarta they would keep up military pressure while seeking
the peace deal.
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda told parliament the government is pursuing "a
combination of both military solution and dialogue."
Vice President Hamzah Haz told reporters an army siege of a rebel group in North
Aceh "goes on until the signing."
International mediators from the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC) had said Tuesday that "a
few issues need to be resolved", but that a signing was planned for December 9.
"The leadership of ASNLF takes this opportunity to stress that there has never been
any decision made by ASNLF or by HDC on the date of signature of the so-called
'peace agreement'..." Abdullah's statement said.
But GAM's military spokesman Sofyan Dawod said Wednesday that its leaders
throughout Aceh had on Tuesday received the announcement about the proposed
December 9 signing from their commander, Muzakkir Manaf.
He had been informed by GAM's "prime minister" Malik Mahmud, whom the
government says is based in Singapore.
Dawod said all members of GAM in Aceh "will definitely obey" a decision to sign an
agreement.
A political scientist has said that GAM, as well as the Indonesian government, is
divided and this has complicated efforts to reach a deal.
In his statement from Sweden, Abdullah said no peace agreement has been realised
yet "and at no occasion did the ASNLF state its acceptance of the autonomy
package offered by Indonesia."
Abdullah described a meeting on Monday in Stockholm between his group and HDC
leaders as "very fruitful." But he said they agreed only to meet again on December 9
to see if differences had been resolved and to set a date for signing a peace pact.
Indonesia's top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Tuesday the
implication of a signing would be that GAM has abandoned its independence fight in
favour of accepting the autonomy already granted to the oil- and gas-rich province.
HDC spokesman Bill Dowell could not be reached for comment on Abdullah's
statement.
Earlier Wednesday he said mediators continued to facilitate talks between the two
sides before the expected signing. But he said not every outstanding issue must be
settled before then and "certain issues can be resolved over a period of time."
The Geneva-based HDC has been mediating the conflict since 2000.
Yudhoyono says disagreements remain over the mechanism for disarmament and the
role of the police and army under a ceasefire.
The army siege in North Aceh swampland was continuing despite the talk of peace.
Troops had advanced closer to rebel positions since Sunday, officers said.
Rebel spokesman Dawod said they would not obey surrender calls. "We will remain
here to defend this headquarters because for us there is no surrender," he said.
str-it/sm/hw AFP
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