With an increasing number of foreign troops entering the disaster-hit
Indonesian province of Aceh to help with assistance and rescue work, people of
the Muslim-dominated country have become more concerned with their security and
stability recently.
To ease people's apprehension, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yuduhoyono
and his officials told people that the foreign troops, mainly from the United
States, Japan, Australia and Singapore, have come to this country to help
victims of the Dec. 26-tsunami and they would stay no longer than three months.
Meanwhile, the issue of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM)has also
become a major concern due to the fact that the GAM has been struggling for an
independent country in the region since 1976.
The protracted bloody conflicts lingering for almost 40 years have killed
tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians. Despitemilitary operations in the
last year, the GAM rebels still made trouble here and there in the province,
although not as active as in the past years.
President Susilo warned several donor countries on Monday not to intervene on
the separatist issue in Aceh during their humanitarian operation in the restive
province.
Susilo made the statement when meeting with ambassadors from Singapore,
Libya, the United States, Sweden, Britain and Japan, State Secretary Minister
Yusril Ihza Mahendra told press followingthe meeting.
"The president asked them not to intervene in the settlement ofthe separatist
GAM issue, because it is our domestic problem," Mahendra said.
The Indonesian government wants to find a peaceful solution to the protracted
conflict.
"We emphasized that the separatist issue is our domestic affairs, but
especially the GAM leaders in Sweden, we asked for the Swedish government to do
something against their citizens thatlead the rebellion movement here in
Indonesia," Mahendra stated frankly as quoted by the daily Jakarta Post here
Tuesday.
The United States and Japan was involved in facilitating the cessation of
hostility between the Indonesian government and the GAM in 2002, and a son of
Libyan President Muammar Qadafy visited Indonesia not long ago trying to
facilitate peace between the two sides.
The GAM defense minister (rebel style) Zakir Manaf has now settled in
Singapore.The rebel's top leader Hassan Tiro and two other leaders Malik Mahmood
and Abdullah Zaini now hold Swedish citizenship and live in Stockholm.
President Susilo and the Indonesian Military Force (TNI) chief Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto have urged all GAM members to finish their separatist
movement and to join in the country's efforts to rebuild the devastated province
along with Acehnese.
