National

Establishing Peace With GAM To Avoid Military Emergency in Aceh
Friday, 29 July, 2005 | 23:25 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian government has carried out negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in order to seek a peaceful solution and to avoid the implementation of a military state of emergency state in Aceh.

This is because the annual cost of implementing a military state of emergency state is extremely high.

“The cost of implementing the military state of emergency is Rp1.2 trillion per year. What would the cost be if we had to implement it five years?” State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said to reporters in Jakarta on Friday (29/07).

Such funds would be better used to develop Aceh.

Regarding the draft agreement between the government and GAM, Ihza Mahendra said that this would be better explained during the consultation meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR).

“This is important so that during the signing, the DPR will not be shocked,” said Mahendra. (Harun Mahbub-Tempo News Room0