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EU Promises Not to Send Troops to Aceh
Friday, 22 July, 2005 | 11:20 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The European Union has promised that it will not send military troops as part of the Aceh Monitoring Mission.

However, its personnel in the mission do have military backgrounds.

Jean Bretéché, Head of the European Commission Delegation to Indonesia said that European Union concentrates more on monitoring rather on military activities.

“We do not plan to send military troops,” Bretéché told reporters after meeting with Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla on Wednesday (21/07).

According to him, matters shall be discussed in more detail during a meeting to be held between the Indonesian government and the head of the European Commission delegation next week.

Bretéché added that European countries would carry out the role desired by the Indonesian government and Free the Aceh Movement (GAM) following the peace agreement.

“We want to facilitate the peace in Aceh rather than take a dominant role,” he said.

Anna Gomez, the Portuguese Ambassador to Indonesia, said that the purpose of the visit to Aceh was not to discuss the role of the monitoring team.

This delegation will gather more information on the rehabilitation and reconstruction process that has started in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD).

According to Gomez, if this monitoring team is established, some of the members will be of a military background.

“But they will not be working as military,” she stated.
Gomez confirmed that this team would partly monitor the return of Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel to their headquarters.

“They will also monitor the destruction of GAM’s weapons,” said Gomez.

Meanwhile, Luisa Morgantini, the chair of the development committee at the European Union parliament, said that the European Union (EU) parliament wished to establish a good relationship with Indonesia.

According to her, European country governments also wish edto see the proper use of the aid funds given to Indonesia for Aceh.

‘We also want civilians to play dominant roles in the reconstruction process in Aceh,” Morgantini said.
(Budiriza-Tempo News Room)