Fedhly Averouss Bey, Jakarta – The extension of the civil emergency in Aceh will not resolve the problems in the province. On the contrary it is an a-historical policy.

This was conveyed by activists from the Acehnese People’s Association (Ikatan Rakyat Aceh, IRA) during a press conference at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Jalan Borobudur in Jakarta on Saturday November 20.

“The extension of the civil emergency in Aceh was made without any kind of comprehensive evaluation. The decision is totally a-historical because the military operation in Aceh has already destroyed every aspect of the Acehnese people’s lives”, said IRA chairperson Lukman Hakim.

Hakim explained that the government must take the Aceh problem back to the negotiating table because the extension of the civil emergency will neither resolve or improve the fortunes of the Acehnese people.

“The extension of the civil emergency also indicates that SBY [President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] has no new approach to resolving the Aceh [conflict] in a peaceful and just manner. This is totally different from what he said during his [election] campaign which carried SBY to [electoral] victory in Aceh”, explained Lukman.(djo)

[Translated by James Balowski.]