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STATE OF
ACHEH ON THE
INITIALLING OF THE PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN The Free Acheh Movement (GAM) welcomes ratification of the draft Acheh peace agreement by Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. This ratification signals the genuine intention of the Indonesian government to finding a sustainable political solution to the long-running conflict in Acheh. GAM thanks the efforts of the Indonesian delegation to the peace talks in helping find a solution to the conflict and to GAM’s claims for democratisation for the people of Acheh. GAM also acknowledges and thanks the very considerable efforts of President Martti Ahtisaari and the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) in facilitating the five rounds of the talks and in guiding the process that has reached this historic agreement. GAM spokesman Mr Bakhtiar Abdullah said today’s initialling of the draft agreement by both GoI and GAM is intended to bring peace to Acheh through the demobilisation of GAM’s military forces and the withdrawal of all Indonesian military not needed for external defence. ‘This last point is critical to the success of the peace agreement,’ Mr Bakhtiar Abdullah. ‘The TNI must now restrict itself to external defence only, and must immediately cease launching offensive actions in Acheh ahead of the withdrawal of all its offensive forces.’ ‘GAM similarly commits to ceasing hostilities ahead of its formal decommissioning,’ Mr Bakhtiar Abdullah said. ‘This agreement is a leap of faith for GAM,’ Mr Bakhtiar Abdullah said. ‘We take it because we want to give the people of Acheh a chance to rebuild after the devastating tsunami, and to provide them with the opportunity to determine their own internal affairs.’ ‘But this leap of faith it is not without risks, and we now require the Indonesian government to exercise full authority over the Indonesian military (TNI) in order to allow this process to succeed.’ ‘GAM also calls on the international community to ensure that the Government of Indonesia abides by this agreement, for the sake of the people of Acheh.’
Signed, Mr
Bakhtiar Abdullah Helsinki ----------------------------- Please Check: |
