LEADERSHIP OF FREE ACHEH MOVEMENT (GAM) P.O. BOX 130, S-145 01 NORSBORG, SWEDEN TEL : +46 8531 86674 FAX : +46 8531 88960
SPEECH BY GAM LEADERSHIP IN SEMINAR ABOUT FUTURE OF ACHEH: SUSTAINABILITY OF PEACE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Monday, 19 March 2007 at 13:00-16:00 UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI Excellency, Mr. Sofyan A. Djalil, Minister for Information and comminication Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me to convey a warmest greetings from the Supreme Leadership of GAM His Highness, Tengku Hasan di Tiro who unfortunately unable to be with us here today to attend this seminar. In the name of the Achehnese people and members of GAM in Acheh and around the world, I would like to thank and express our deepest appreciation to President Martti Ahtisaari and staff of the Crisis Management Initiative and the Government of Finland who from the initial stage of contact between the government of Indonesia and Free Acheh Movement (GAM) have done everything possible to make a comprehensive peace possible in Acheh with dignity for all parties, since winter, year 2005. Our special thanks to the Government of Indonesia under the pragmatic leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Yusuf Kalla who have shown their interest and commitment to the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (Helsinki MoU) to this date. Not least, our special thanks and appreciation to the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Mr. Javier Solana for his unflinching support to the peace process as well as to the Head of Acheh Monitoring Mission (AMM) Mr. Pieter Cornelis Feith and his staff from the EU, ASEAN, Norway and Switzerland who had successfully carried on their monitoring mission in Acheh which ended on last December 15, 2006. I am pleased to inform you that as of December 20, 2006, the AMM was officially succeeded by the INTERPEACE which was headed by none other than President Martti Ahtisaari himself based in Geneva and headed in Acheh by a Finnish, Mr. Juha Cristensen. The establishment of INTERPEACE in Acheh as a monitoring vehicle for the implementation of the Helsinki MoU, is yet another constructive step taken by GoI, CMI and GAM to ensure peace and stability must prevail in Acheh for ever. In this opportunity, I am not forgotten and indeed proud of the continuous support and dedication given to me by fellow Achehnese within the country and abroad to make the peace process in Acheh a success story. In line to the Helsinki MoU, the election of the head of Acheh Government was successfully executed on December 11, 2006, in which for the first time in the history of Acheh, perhaps in Indonesia – all Achehnese with their right of vote and to be electorates were able to participate in the democratic election. Surprisingly, it took place relatively in a peaceful situation which is rare to take place in a conflict -ridden region of three decades anywhere. Therefore, with the successful election of the Head of Acheh Government, GAM and the entire Achehnese people have proven themselves that they are capable to achieve their political aspiration through democratic system as a means to maintain peace, stability, freedom, justice with dignity for all parties as these would be the key to the national development and prosperity of Acheh in the foresseable future. GAM, as co-signatory of the peace agreement, will use its resources to work closely with the elected Head of Acheh Government in the effort to perserve the newly gained peace against those elements who are bent to destroy it. In the effort to maintain peace and progress, I hope that the Government of Indonesia would commit itself, first and foremost to create a condusive political condition and the law in line with the new law for Acheh as stipulated in the Helsinki MoU. Secondly, I urge the elected Acheh Government to adopt and implement those provisions as soon as possible. Thirdly, I strongly urge the Government of Indonesia to address or making necessary amendments to some provisions within the new Law of Governing Acheh (LOGA) precisely the newly passed Law No 11/2006, which was apparently a deviation from the spirit of the Helsinki MoU signed on 15 August 2005. I believe a peaceful, just and stability in Acheh will create a condusive atmosphere where the general economic and livelihood of the people will be improved. Apart from that, the reconstraction works after the tsunami and various aids needed by the the tsunami victims are still short of the projected target. It is estimated more than 100,000 people are still living in temporary camps throughout the country. Apparently, these are enormous problems facing the newly elected government along with the Aceh-Nias Reconstruction Body or the Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi (BRR) Aceh-Nias to re-construct Acheh and to improve the wellfares of the people within the time limit. In conjunction therefore, I urge the head of the elected Government of Acheh to intensify the vocational training programme for the ex GAM’s combantants as well as broder sectors of the population in order to equip themselves for job-opportunities as a means to improve their living standard as one should not entirely dependent on economic aid alone as this would be a drawback for real progress. I strongly believe a peaceful Acheh with a clean, stable and dynamic government would provide her as a magnate for foreign economic co-operations in trade, industry and investment. Indeed, Acheh is really in needs of helps to enhance her potentials for the economic progress of the people and be a part of the global economy it deserved. Finally, with the sincerity and full supports from the Government of Indonesia along with the International Community, a lasting peace and progress will be the future for Acheh. Before concluding my speech, I congratulate and thank the Asia-Pacific Studies programme, UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI, the CRISIS MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE who have succesfully organised this seminar and the support of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for Finland which enable all of us getting together here at the most appropriate time while peace is prevailing back in Acheh. Thank you. Malik Mahmud Leadership of GAM
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