Precedence: bulk 13 June 1999 PRESS RELEASE An independent team of Australian non-government election monitors coordinated by the Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA) has spent the last six days in the province of Aceh, monitoring the general election, surveying the human rights situation in the province, and interviewing a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the elections and in Aceh's political future. "Our team is gravely concerned at the deteriorating human rights situation in the weeks and months leading up to the election, and about the mass exodus of villagers from their homes. Furthermore, we are disturbed by the fact that approximtely half of the people of Aceh have not voted because a climate of terror has been produced by rumours of impending military activity, resulting in a lack of election facilities, polling booth personnel and voter attendance, and reported intimidation by 'provocateurs', the military and Aceh freedom movement," said ACFOA spokesperson Vanessa Johanson. Additionally, the four-member team believes that long-term unresolved problems in Aceh have led to a widespread sentiment amongst the people of Aceh that there is no other way to express their aspirations other than to boycott the elections. "Where the general election has occured, the presence of international and local observers has been severely curtailed by the security situation and intimidation," added Ms Johanson. Around fifty-two percent of the populatin of Aceh lives in the three regions worst affected by intimidation and displacement; Pidie, North Aceh and East Aceh. According to the Provincial Election Commission, only an estimated 2% of eligible voters has so voted in these three regions. Even in areas where the elections were conducted, there are reports of pressure to register to vote, or to vote for a certain party. "Even if elections are delayed until this month, there is no guarantee that they will be conducted in a free and fair manner. The Indonesian government should prioritize addressing the root causes of the election delays, rather than pushing ahead with the election at any cost. The Indonesian government should also consider alternative ways of canvassing the aspirations of the Acehnese." The team has made the following recommendations to President Habibie, the Aceh Regional Government, and the Indonesian Electoral Commission. Recommendations: * The local government of Aceh, the central government and the international community should immediately respond to the deteriorating human rights situation in the towns and villages inhabited by internally displaced people, by coordinating the purchase and dispatch of supplies of food and medicine to these areas, and immediately addressing intimidation of internally displaced people. This situation must be responded to in the the first instance as a humanitarian issue and not as a military or political crisis; * The Indonesian government should reduce its military presence in Aceh to an absolute minimum. Regular police should be fully responsible for guarding ballot booths, for crowd control, criminal cases, and for other general duties; * The Indonesian government should address the root causes of the delays in the general election in the regions of Pidie, North Aceh and East Aceh, and other affected areas. The Indonesian Governmenet and the Electoral Commission (KPU) appear to be prioritizing the conduct of a general election at all cost. The Government should instead prioritize addressing the causes of the problems. Further to this, the Indonesian government should immediately proceed to initiate a series of dialogues with the various sections of the Acehnese community who are requesting a revision of Aceh's relationship with Jakarta, in order to work towards a negotiated solution to the crisis of Aceh; * The Indonesian government should establish independent Commission in Aceh to investigate human rights abuses and tp prosecute those most responsible. Prosecutions of military should occur through regular independent criminal courts. * The Indonesian government and international aid agencies should give full authority and financial support to locally-managed and culturally appropriate program of trauma counseling for the survivors and families of survivors of human rights abuses in Aceh; * Considering the climate of mutual suspicion and reluctance to directly negotiate by many parties, the Indonesian Government should invite an international monitoring presence to Aceh in order to monitor the human rights situation and oversee dialoques between various parties. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR MORE INFORMATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT VANESSA JOHANSON IN INDONESIA 0811-928184 OR PAT WALSH 613 9417 7505. ---------- SiaR WEBSITE: http://apchr.murdoch.edu.au/minihub/siarlist/maillist.html
