Parliament sends protest letter to president over peace talks

Detik.com – June 3, 2005
People’s Representative Assembly Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno (Tribune)
People’s Representative Assembly Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno (Tribune)

Anton Aliabbas, Jakarta – On Friday June 3, the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR) sent a letter of protest to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The DPR is asking the government not to continue negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland.

“In the letter we also opposed any agreement which might come out [of the talks]”, said DPR deputy speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno at the DPR building on Jalan Gatot Soebroto in Jakarta.

According to Soerjogoeritno, the position being taken by the DPR is a result of a meeting of the DPR leadership, fraction heads and the heads of Commissions I, II and II on Monday May 30.

The DPR believes that the Helsinki negotiations have gone beyond the guidelines setout by the DPR. Soerjogoeritno did acknowledged that the DPR had decided to resolve the Aceh conflict though dialogue. “But these meetings conflict with the overall [guidelines] given by the DPR. Hamid (the Minister for Justice and Human Rights, Hamid Awaluddin) should return home to account for the KPU’s money1”, exclaimed an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle politician known as “kocak”.

In a private capacity, Soerjogoeritno has asked the DPR to summons the Defense Minister Juwono Soedarsono and armed forces chief General Endriartono Sutarto. “We ask that the efforts in Finland be terminated and it would be better if it’s resolve domestically. I don’t agree with the involvement of third parties”, he said.

From the very start continued Soerjogoeritno, the DPR never actually agreed to the negotiations being held in Finland. “Why must a minister be sent. We have disagreed [with this] for some time. Basically Hamid [should] come home. GAM’s demands are also excessive”, he said accusingly.

Notes:

1. Hamid Awaluddin, the government’s chief negotiator at the talks, was formerly a senior member of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and has been linked to a high-profile corruption case involving the body and is due to be questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission upon his return home from Helsinki.

[Translated by James Balowski.]