Word: aceh
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...December by the Geneva-based Henry Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, GAM agreed to abandon its 26-year armed struggle and accept autonomy as a starting point for negotiations. But GAM's leaders - possibly emboldened by East Timor's successful breakaway from Jakarta in 1999 - continue to vow that Aceh will one day be a sovereign entity. What's more, they have yet to begin disarming...
...Aceh's residents have already paid an appalling price. More than 10,000 have died in the fighting and countless others have been raped, tortured and robbed of their homes and livelihoods. But their lot is of little concern to the combatants. GAM claims to want independence; the military intends "to defend the country's unity at all costs," says Defense Ministry Director of Strategic Planning, General Sudrajat. But the situation is muddied by economics: both sides profit through smuggling, extortion, illegal logging and the sale of marijuana. Peace would threaten cash flow. "Both GAM and the government are more...
...agreement that would prevent all-out warfare in Indonesia's westernmost province. He doesn't want his name published because he fears reprisals against his family, particularly because he believes that there is virtually no chance the two sides?the Indonesian military and the separatist guerrillas of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)?can reach a compromise to prevent renewed fighting. Indonesian troops are already flooding into Aceh. Ultimately, some 50,000 are expected in the province, poised to launch an offensive designed to end the 27-year conflict once and for all. The rebels had until...
...Theys deserved medals instead of the light prison sentences they received.) And with a presidential election next year, leading politicians are loath to defy the generals. In this environment, says Sidney Jones, who heads the International Crisis Group's Jakarta office, generals like Ryamizard see a crushing victory in Aceh as critical to reclaiming the military's former lofty status. GAM, sadly, is the perfect adversary. The rebels squandered most of the goodwill in Aceh by extorting funds from civilians and committing scores of their own atrocities. GAM has about 5,000 troops, but few analysts believe the military...
...Indonesia: Boiling Point in Aceh...