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Malaysia
Pressing For End To Aceh Conflict
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A
group of Indonesian activists shout anti-military slogans during a
protest in Jakarta
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Additional
Reporting by Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, May 21 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - War in Aceh has
taken a swift turn with the burning of around 200 schools in the
province while Malaysia is stepping up efforts to bring an end to the
conflict that might destabilize the entire region, news agencies
reported on Wednesday, May 21.
Malaysia
has urged Indonesians to keep open the diplomatic channels with the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and to prevent a possible war in Aceh from
destabilizing the region.
Malaysia
is pressing for an immediate end of the conflict, saying that peace
could still be reached between the parties and that the ongoing war in
Aceh will not be positive for the entire region.
There
are also fears that GAM separatists may cross over to Malaysia in
their flight from the war zone in a bid to reconstitute themselves as
an opposing force in exile.
IslamOnline.net
has fresh information that Aceh separatists and supporters could
easily cross borders in disguise as refugees and regroup in order to
prepare for a long war of attrition against Indonesia.
The
GAM is known to have a political wing in Malaysia, represented by
exiled members of the freedom movement who broke away from the GAM in
the early 1980’s.
They
are also believed to be behind the channeling of weapons allegedly
bought from Thailand or Cambodia and transported to Aceh via Malaysia
or other Indonesian provinces.
Malaysia
has not been informed by Indonesia that it will consider re-opening
the channel for dialogue with the GAM.
Meanwhile,
A GAM leader in Sweden said that GAM troops could resist the
Indonesian forces indefinitely, while other GAM sources said the
movement will not be exterminated
though it accused the Indonesian military of attempting genocide in
the restive province.
Mahmud
Malik, who lives in exile, was quoted by Reuters on Wednesday
as saying that his supporters in Aceh would go on fighting
"forever, as (long as) the Acehnese people exist.
"We
have been fighting Indonesia for 27 years... we are confident that we
will be able to resist them. We have to claim back what they have
stolen from us. They are the robbers and we have to demand back our
property that they have taken -- with interest," he said.
Malik
was confident that GAM members knew how to live in Aceh's jungle and
were familiar with the mountainous terrain.
"We
have long experience. We have become more and more sophisticated in
guerrilla warfare," he remarked.
Malik
refused to reveal the number of the group's armed members. However,
the government estimates that there are currently some 5,000 men in
the GAM military wing.
GAM
sources nevertheless put the number of GAM fighters to around 10,000,
armed with light weaponry useful in guerilla warfare though the group
says it has enough capacity to launch attacks against targets and
ambush the Indonesian military.
Malik
told Reuters that the GAM had no problem with weapons, adding that the
weapons were bought from the Indonesian military through soldiers who
needed money.
The
bloody conflict in Aceh started in 1976 when GAM sought independence.
About 10,000 people had been killed during the war.
On
Tuesday, the GAM was prompt to accuse the Indonesian military of
attempted genocide against the people of Aceh.
GAM
military spokesman Sofyan Dawood told Reuters that his movement was
not responsible for the burning of schools.
"People
were shot and then even burned. Many houses have been burned as
well," he said.
The
GAM rejected a recent order from the Aceh military commander to
surrender, accusing the Indonesian Military (TNI) of trying to
eliminate them completely.
Dawood
said in a statement that "the Aceh nation answers the
(Indonesia's) call for war in the name of the sacred faith to protect
Aceh sovereignty.
"Aceh
National Military Commander condemns TNI Commander (Gen. Endriartono)
Sutarto who ordered his men to root out GAM, which clearly reveals the
aim to commit genocide," he said.
Dawood
added that the failure of the recent peace talks in Tokyo had been
engineered by Indonesia, calling it "a mere political
maneuver".
The
GAM also accused Indonesia of using the failed Tokyo talks to declare
state of emergency in Aceh.
While
skirmishes continued on some battle fronts on Tuesday, Indonesia’s
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the
government had no plans to offer amnesty to separatists wishing to
surrender, reported the Jakarta Post.
Yusril
said the amended 1945 Constitution clearly stipulated that amnesty
could be granted upon approval from the House of Representatives.
"The
opportunity for them (GAM members) to receive amnesty remains wide
open, but the President must consult the House beforehand,"
Yusril said in Jakarta. "But there has been no discussion on that
matter so far."
On
Monday, May 19, the TNI said it had 28,000 soldiers in Aceh plus 8,000
regular police and 2,000 paramilitary police.
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