Malaysia Agrees to Mediate in Aceh (fwd)

["M.G.G. Pillai" <pillai@mgg.pc.my>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 07 Mar 2000 03:40:45
From: tapol@gn.apc.org
Reply-To: "Conference act.indonesia" <indonesia-act@igc.org>
To: Recipients of indonesia-act <indonesia-act@igc.org>
Subject: Malaysia Agrees to Mediate in Aceh

From: TAPOL <tapol@gn.apc.org>

Received from Joyo Indonesian News

Indonesian Observer
7th March 2000

Malaysia agrees to mediate in Aceh

JAKARTA (IO) — President Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday said Malaysia has agreed 
to help mediate a reconciliation between the Free Aceh movement and the 
Indonesian government. 

"The fact is, Indonesia has asked the Malaysian government to help mediate a 
reconciliation between the conflicting parties and the Malaysian government 
has agreed to do it," said Abdullah Puteh, an Aceh community leader, who was 
quoting President Wahid’s comments to Aceh leaders during a meeting at the 
Merdeka palace.

Puteh, a former house member, along with twenty-five community leaders from 
Aceh, met with President Wahid to report on the outcomes of the two-day 
symposium on the future of Aceh recently held in Jakarta. 

Also in attendance were Nazarudin Syamsudin, a political analyst from the 
University of Indonesia; Bachtiar Ali, a communication expert from the 
University of Indonesia. political observer, Fachry Ali; and TV star, Cut 
Keke. 

According to Gus Dur, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad, has asked 
former Senior Minister of Kedah State, Tan Sri Sanusi Juned, to mediate the 
reconciliation.

Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad, as reported by the official Bernama news 
agency recently, will visit Indonesia on March 9-10 for talks with President 
Wahid.

The agency quoted Malaysia Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar as saying that 
Mahathir would be accompanied by officials from "various ministries and 
members of the private sector."

The agency did not mention the topics to be discussed in the talks between 
President Wahid and Mahathir, but Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab, after handing 
over Wahid’s invitation to Prime Minister Mahathir in Kuala Lumpur on 
February 21, said that Indonesia wanted Malaysia’s advice on how to speed up 
economic recovery. Shihab did not mention possible mediation by Malaysia on 
the Aceh issue. 

Aceh rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have been waging armed 
rebellion against Jakarta for years , although recent reports indicate that 
thousands of Acehnese have now sworn loyalty to Indonesia, resisting a move 
for an independent state. More than 5,000 people have died in the conflict in 
the past decade.

Wahid also reiterated that the government is not objecting to holding 
negotiations with the GAM leaders, provided it is carried out within the 
context of the unitary state of Indonesia.

The president also disclosed that the Kuwaiti ambassador to Indonesia has 
expressed his country’s readiness to invest in the construction of a 
trans-Sumatra railroad from Aceh to Lampung on the southern tip of Sumatra 
island. 

According to Gus Dur, construction of infrastructure networks will begin as 
soon as reconciliation exist in the province.

Puteh added that the government also has promised some Rp248 billion (USD33 
million) to fund humanitarian projects in the troubled region.

The recent symposium on Aceh recommended that a cease-fire should be reached 
soon between the government and GAM rebels. 

It also recommended that the government work out a bill respecting the 
cultural rights of Aceh people and people of other provinces. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR7 8HW, UK
Phone: 0181 771-2904   Fax: 0181 653-0322
email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Internet: www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Campaigning to expose human rights violations in
Indonesia, East Timor, West Papua and Aceh

26 years - and still going strong 
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