M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – After holding two meetings in Helsinki, Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have yet to sign an agreement. For as long as there is no agreement in black and white the TNI (armed forces) will reject a cease-fire with GAM.

This view was conveyed by TNI chief General Endriartono Sutarto after accompanying Malaysia’s armed forces chief General Tan Sri Dato Seri Muhammad Zahidi bin Hj Zainuddin to bit farewell with the minister of defense, Juwono Sudarsono, at the department of defense on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in Jakarta on Thursday April 21.

“If that is a government decisions, we must support it mustn’t we, perhaps the government will tell us to agree to peace with GAM but TNI cannot. Aren’t I allowed to kill GAM if I meet them”1, said Sutarto responding to questions by journalists in relation to GAM’s request that TNI adopt a defensive posture (not attack GAM).

GAM has been forced to bite its nails because its request is difficult to bring into reality bearing in mind the diplomatic effort which are seeking a peaceful solution for Aceh are out of sync with events on the ground.

“We are hoping that they will say that, [that they will] seek a peaceful solution, but is must also be like that on the ground. But the reality is not like that, on the ground at the moment the TNI continues to have a policy to secure Aceh, if they take measures which disrupt security, yeah well we have the job of protecting the public”, he explained.

Will the TNI take a defensive position? “No, that is what we did when we responded to the emergency before. We said that several times and GAM also but the reality was that GAM did not take the position we had advocated”, he asserted.

With regard to GAM’s request for the involvement of regional countries, Sutarto added that there is has no agreement yet. “The substantial issues have not yet been fully agreed on. If they are agreed on of course it will be followed up and there will be no comment whatsoever”, said Sutarto.

Farid Husain, the deputy coordinating minister for people’s welfare in charge of health coordination and environment and who is also a member of the government’s delegation said the same thing.

“No points of agreement have been signed yet including a cease-fire, a defensive position and the involvement of regional countries. If there are still exchanges of fire, [it is] because [of the] Aceh conflict. So [the TNI’s] principle is shoot first before being shot”, he added.

A third meeting between Indonesia and GAM is to be held in Helsinki in May. (aan)

Notes:

1. Some parts of this quote were ambiguous and open to more than one interpretation.

[Translated by James Balowski.]