Indonesian govt signs peace accord with Aceh rebels
HELSINKI, Aug 15: The Indonesian government and Aceh separatist rebels signed an historic peace accord Monday aimed at ending decades of bloodshed in a region devastated by last year’s tsunami.
All hostilities were to end with the signing of the agreement, under which the separatists dropped their long-held demands for independence and agreed to disarm and demobilise their soldiers.
Indonesia in turn promised an amnesty, to allow the creation of political parties in the province and to withdraw non-local security forces by the end of the year.
The deal was signed in the Finnish capital Helsinki where the painstaking negotiations took place to end three decades of conflict that has left almost 15,000 people dead, most of them civilians.
Military and civilian officials from the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are to monitor implementation of the deal.
“This is the beginning of a new era,” chief mediator Martti Ahtisaari said at the ceremony.
Indonesian Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaluddin signed the agreement with Malik Mahmud, the self-styled prime minister of the exiled GAM leadership in Sweden.
“We’ve come to this day after years of military violence against the people of Aceh. This is the beginning of the process of justice for the Aceh people,” Mahmud said.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesians should be proud.
Key points of the accord are:
— All hostilities cease with the signing of the agreement.
— The Indonesian government withdraws non-local military and police forces from Aceh by the end of 2005.
— In parallel, GAM decommissions all arms and demobilises its 3,000 troops.
— The Indonesian government facilitates the establishment of Aceh-based political parties within a year.
— Aceh to be governed under a new law, to be introduced by March 31, 2006.
— The region will be entitled to 70 per cent of revenue from its natural resources.
— An amnesty will be granted to GAM members and political prisoners within two weeks of the signing.
— A human rights court and a truth and reconciliation commission will be established in Aceh.
— An Aceh Monitoring Mission will be established by the European Union and five Asean countries.—AFP
