Wiranto on Aceh Referendum: No Longer Relevant in Indonesia
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31 May 2019 17:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto said the notion of Aceh referendum was not going to happen as the policies on the matter had been revoked.
“The referendum issue in Indonesia’s law has ended, no longer exists,” he said in his office, Central Jakarta, Friday, May 31.
Wiranto explained several regulations and decrees had annulled it, such as the People's Consultative Assembly Decree (TAP MPR) No. 8 of 1998 on the annulment of TAP MPR No. 4/1993 on the referendum and Law No. 6/1999 that revoked Law No. 5/1985.
“So there is no longer a place for a referendum in Indonesia, it’s not relevant anymore,” he underlined.
Read: Wiranto: We Have Known Mastermind behind May 22 Riot
A discourse of Aceh referendum emerged after a former commander of the defunct Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Muzakir Manaf, called on the Aceh people to immediately hold a referendum to decide if the province should remain with Indonesia or detach from it.
During an event in Banda Aceh, Monday, May 27, the former Aceh deputy governor opined Indonesia’s current condition was on the verge of a downfall and the country would be colonized by foreigners in the near future. Thus, he said that Aceh should better push for a referendum as Timor Timur did.
EGI ADYATAMA
