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NEWS & LETTERS,
January-February 2003
Achehnese wary of peace pact
Acheh, Indonesia--Under international pressure, a peace
accord was signed Dec. 9 between the Indonesian government and the separatist
guerrilla movement, the Free Acheh Movement (GAM). To date, the peace pact has
reduced the government’s widespread killing of combatants and civilians, but
it is too early to tell whether there will really be peace, whether the military
will withdraw from its long history of repression, killing and terrorizing the
population of Acheh, which overwhelmingly desires independence. The whole
procedure may yet prove to be a ruse to disarm GAM. Nevertheless, the population is happy at the prospect of
peace. People are less afraid to come out at night, and even came out to
demonstrations. However, on Jan. 9, thousands of villagers from East
Acheh and North Acheh started to go to the city of Lhokseumawe to join a peace
demonstration to show support for the cessation of hostilities. Unfortunately,
many of them did not arrive because they were blocked by Indonesian security
forces who shot and injured at least 20 villagers. The rally was organized by the Forum Rakyat, Perempuan
Merdeka, Solidaritas Pemuda Acheh and several other organisations. Cut
Farrah, the coordinator, said that up to 3,000 people were assaulted. However,
she said, the number of people who attended the rally was far greater than those
prevented from reaching their destination. Speakers at the rally, which was attended by about 5,000
people, called on the two parties to the agreement to honor its content. --Compiled by Anne Jaclard |
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