Antara, 21 January 2006
1. USAID TO BUILD HOUSES FOR ACEH TSUNAMI VICTIMS NEXT WEEK
2. TEAM INVESTIGATING SHOOTING INCIDENT IN PAPUA
3. RI THANKS FINLAND FOR ITS ASSISTANCE TO SOLVE ACEH ISSUE
4. INDONESIA NEVER USES NAPALM BOMBS IN EAST TIMOR
5. FORMER GAM LEADERS MEET VICE PRESIDENT JUSUF KALLA
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Antara, 21 January 2006
1. USAID TO BUILD HOUSES FOR ACEH TSUNAMI VICTIMS NEXT WEEK
Jakarta - The United States Agency of International Development (USAID), along with its partner CHF International will begin constructing homes for tsunami victims in Aceh Besar district on January 25.
The US Embassy's statement made available to ANTARA here Friday said the USAID and CHF International officials will therefore hold a ground-breaking ceremony which will take place in Pulot village, Leupeung sub-district, next Wednesday.
In the first stage, the two foreign agencies in coordination with the local reconstruction and rehabilitation agency (BRR) will build 65 houses in remote Geumbak Meualon area in Mon Ikeun village in Lok Nga subdistrict, it said.
The project constitutes the first phase of the US$10 million program that will build 1,000 houses for victims of tsunami that devastated parts of Aceh on Dec 26, 2004.
The 65 houses will hopefully accommodate more than 200 tsunami victims who have been living in tents or their relatives' homes.
The statement said the People Housing Committee (CRC) which is made up of local people has taken part in making the design of the permanent houses to be equipped with earthquake early warning devices.
The CRC will also monitor transparency in implementing the project.
2. TEAM INVESTIGATING SHOOTING INCIDENT IN PAPUA
Jayapura, Papua - A team led by Paniai district head Yanurius Douw visited the site of a shooting incident in which one person was killed and two others wounded in Waghete in West Paniai, Papua, on Friday.
ANTARA's contributor Mecy Tebay reported from Eranotali in the afternoon that the team consisting of a laison officer from the Trikora 17th Miliary Command Major Ahmad Kabagu, resort police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Anthon Diance and a local administrative official went by truck to conduct an investigation into and collect information on the incident that occurred at 10 a.m.
Security personnel allegedly shot three civilians in Waghete, the capital of the district of West Paniai in Papua, leaving one person dead and two others seriously wounded.
The victims are identified as Yulika Kotoki, Moses Douw and Petrus Pekey. Yulika was shot in his right thigh, Moses on part of his shoulder causing him to die in the hospital and Petrus on the right shoulder.
The body of Moses Douw was handed over to the team, received by Major Ahmad Kobagu, and had not yet been buried. The wounded persons are currently being treated at a local hospital.
The families of the victims walked around 20 kilometers to protest against security personnel in Eranotali and asked security officials in Papua to accommodate their aspirations.
Security situation in Paniai was quite tense but remained under control.
The incident began when some villagers were repairing a bridge on a Nabire-Enarotali Trans Irian section in Waghete.
The villagers asked for money from motorists passing the road and were involved in a dispute over a misunderstanding with some security officers passing that road, making the officers open fire killing one villager and wounding two others.
The officers are believed to be members of a special team of the 753 Infantry Batallion in Nabire. Investigation however is currently still being done by the responsible authorities to find the truth of the incident.
3. RI THANKS FINLAND FOR ITS ASSISTANCE TO SOLVE ACEH ISSUE
Helsinki - Visiting Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has expressed gratitude to the Finnish government for its role in ensuring a faster-than-expected peace process in Aceh.
"Admittedly, I feel surprised that the Aceh issue could be solved more quickly," Kalla said in a joint press conference with Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen at the latter's office here on Friday.
Kalla said the Indonesian government is trying to enable the Acehnese people to lead a normal life.
The Indonesian government signed a peace deal with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on August 15, 2005 at the initiative of former Finnish president Martti Ahtisari through his institution called the Crisis Management Initiative replacing the peace initiative facilitated by the Swiss non-governmental organization, the Henry Dunant Centre (HDC).
The HDC-facilitated peace process came to a standstill in May 2003 after the center succeeded in bringing the two sides to sign a cessation of hostilities agreement.
The peace deal between the Indonesian government and the GAM puts an end to three-decades old bloody conflict in resource-rich Aceh which had cost the lives of around 10,000 people.
In reply to a question, Kalla said that in principle, the Indonesian government and the GAM no longer have different opinions because both shelter under the same umbrella, namely the peace deal.
He said the Indonesian government will grant a wide-ranging autonomy to Aceh provided the province remains in the fold of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Vanhannen said he is satisfied that all phases of the peace process towards a comprehensive peace process as laid down in the peace deal including decommissioning armaments by the GAM have run smoothly.
European Union members including Finland and ASEAN countries, have expressed support for the formation of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) which started working in mid September 2005 to monitor the peace process in Aceh.
Based on the agreement between the two sides, the AMM's mandate which expired in December 2005 has been extended for another three months. However, the number of its personnel consisting of unarmed military personnel from such EU countries as Norway and Switzerland in addition to ASEAN countries has been reduced.
The Finnish prime minister promised to increase his country's assistance for the post-tsunami reconstruction of Aceh.
On the second day of his visit to Finland on Saturday, Kalla is scheduled to visit the historical building where representatives of the Indonesian government and the GAM signed the peace deal.
Kalla is in Finland on the first leg of a three-nation tour which will also take him to Belgium and Japan aimed at enhancing trade and investment relations.
The
vice president's entourage includes Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda, Trade
Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and State Minister for Communication and Information
Sofyan Djalil.
4. INDONESIA NEVER USES NAPALM BOMBS IN EAST TIMOR
Jakarta - Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said here on Friday that Indonesia had never used napalm bombs in East Timor in the alleged human rights violations there in 1975.
"That was impossible because it would be known and it was against the government's policy then and now," he said after receiving medical aid supplies from the US government.
He said the issue about the military (TNI) and police using napalm bombs in East Timor had often been spread in case of alleged human rights violation involving them.
Juwono said the allegation from the East Timor Commission of Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) was a form of war of data and information regarding things that had never happened in Indonesia
He said Indonesia at that time was not yet able to import, let alone build those incendiary bombs. "So it was impossible for TNI or the police to use napalm bombs in East Timor," he said.
Timor Leste president Xanana Gusmao earlier said that he would submit the result of an investigation into human rights violations filed by the CAVR to the United Nations.
As
stated earlier by CAVR chief Aniceto Guterres Lopez,
CAVR had discovered more than 1,000 cases of human rights violations in
East Timor in the 1974-1999 period.
5. FORMER GAM LEADERS MEET VICE PRESIDENT JUSUF KALLA
Helsinki - Former members of separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) living in Sweden, Malik Machmud, Zaini Abdullah and Muzakir Manan, met with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, during a dinner at the Indonesian Guest House here on Friday evening.
Hosted by the Vice President, the dinner was lively attended by about 200 invitees from members of the diplomatic corps here and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hasan Wirayuda, Minister of Forestry MS Ka'ban, Minister of Trade Mari Pangestu and Communications and Information Minister Sofyan Jalil.
Tangku M Lampoh and Irwandi Yusuf, two other fomer members of GAM, came to Helsinki along with the Vice President's entourage. The occasion was also attended by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari.
Ahtisaari was the facilitator of negotiations between Indonesian representatives and GAM leaders, which gave birth to the peace accord signed between the two parties on August 15, 2005.
The previous peace process, which was facilitated by the Swedish non-governmental organization Henry Dunant Centre, brought the two sides to Cessation of Hostilities agreement in December 2000 but it was halted in May 2005.
The Vice President and the former GAM leaders were scheduled to have a nostalgic visit to the historic Konggstedt Manor building, the place where the peace accord was signed some 30 km outside of the Helsinki capital city.
Former top leader of GAM in Sweden, Hasan Tiro was not able to attend the Vice President's invitation for health reason.
In his brief address, the Vice President thanked Ahtisaari's initiatives that took him and his brothers, the former leaders of GAM, to sit side-by-side during the dinner party.
Malik Machmud was former prime minister in the GAM leaders' structure, Zaini Abdullah was home affairs minister and Muzakir Manan was GAM secretary.
The signing of the peace accord put an end to the 30-year long bloody conflict which had claimed over 30,000 lives in Aceh.
Kalla said the people of Aceh were now moving ahead of a better future after the settlement of the protracted conflict and the December 26, 2004 tsunami.
In the meantime, Ahtisaari in his address said he was lucky for being able to materialize the peace process because of cooperation with the correct people in the correct place and time.