Henry Dunant Center Prepares Weapons Inspection Team
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Rabu, 23 Juli 2003 13:10 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, Banda Aceh:The Henry Dunant Center (HDC), which is the facilitator between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), has prepared a team to inspect GAMs weapons. Inspections will be carried out from time to time without any advance warning to GAM. HDCs Program Manager in Banda Aceh, David Gorman, said he would appoint staff to inspect GAMs weapons. They are not included in the monitoring committee, and they are responsible to the Henry Dunant Center, Gorman said in Banda Aceh on Friday (14/2). He went on to say the inspection team consists of four staff, adding: We are yet to decide which countries will send staff [to joint the team]. According to Gorman, GAM could decide where the weapons are to be kept but it cannot replace weapons without HDC permission and has to accept HDC inspections. Regarding the request by Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Endriartono Sutarto for HDC to keep the weapons permanently, Gorman said that the Henry Dunant Center provided a guarantee that no party could take or use the weapons. We are responsible for any weapons kept, he said, but he refused to comment on whether or not GAM had started to hand in weapons. As regards the monitoring committee, HDC has decided to station 18 military officers from Thailand in Aceh. They are scheduled to arrive in Banda Aceh in the next few weeks. At the moment, there are 30 foreign members of the monitoring committee; 24 of them come from Thailand, and the rest of them from the Philippines. Considering this, Gorman said the HDC has decided to call for another 18 personnel from Thailand. We need more personnel, he told reporters in Banda Aceh on Wednesday (13/2). When Gorman was asked whether or not the Thai personnel were to replace those from the Philippines, he did not explain. They are stationed here to meet personnel requirements, he stated. Previously, it was planned there would be 24 personnel from Thailand and 24 personnel from the Philippines. However, GAM has rejected the Philippines personnel. The reason is that the country is considered not neutral, as Indonesia had supported the Philippines in handling the Moro case. The concern is that the country will implement gratitude politics, said Sofyan from GAM. (yuswardi a. suud - tempo news room)
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