Jakarta -- The Indonesian Women’s Solidarity Alliance (Aliansi Solidaritas Perempuan Indonesia, ASPI) has called on warring parties in Aceh to immediately end the war and return to the negotiating table. According to ASPI, the war will achieve nothing, rather it will result in civilian deaths and tear apart the rights of the Acehnese people.

“We reject the war because the war will not resolve the problems [in Aceh]”, said ASPI spokesperson Lismayani at a demonstration organised by ASPI at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Jakarta on June 6.

ASPI is made of around 100 students from the Syarief Hidayatullah Islamic State University, the Jakarta State University, the Indonesian Muslim Student Action Committee (Komite Aksi Mahasiswa Muslim Indonesia, KAMMI), Seroja (Veterans), the Voluntary Corps of the Indonesian Muslim Student Movement (Pergerakan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia, PMII), the Associated of North Sumatra Students (Kesatuan Mahasiswa Sumatera Utara) and the Minang Student Association (Ikatan Mahasiswa Minang).

The integrated operation has been shown to provide no answers the Aceh problem. More civilians are being killed, schools burnt down and the number of refugees is growing.

Meanwhile indications that peace has been archived for the Acehnese people are far from what had been hoped for, the integrated operation has failed to answer the problems. Therefore ASPI calls on the warring parties to return to the negotiating table.

In line with ASPI’s views, the Indonesian Islamic Student League (Liga Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia, LMIIP) also held a demonstration yesterday at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout calling for an end to the armed conflict in Aceh and that the government reinstate negotiations.

They also demanded that all case of human rights violations during the period Aceh was declared a Military Operation Zone up until now be fully investigated. (LOK)

[Translated by James Balowski.]