Indonesia rejects rebel independence referendum offer

Indonesia today rejected an offer by Acehnese rebels to put their independence claims on hold in return for an eventual referendum on the issue, but mediators were optimistic that coming peace talks could be fruitful.

The two sides held talks over the weekend in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, to consider a formal cease-fire in Aceh province and to reopen a peace process that was brutally broken in 2003 by the Indonesian military.

Although the Helsinki meeting ended inconclusively, both sides said negotiations will resume in February, and mediators said Jakarta’s offer of limited self-government for the province would likely be the key issue at the talks.

Acehnese rebels yesterday offered to put their secession demands on hold if the tsunami-hit province is allowed to hold an independence referendum within five to 10 years – a proposal the government rejected today.

“The Indonesian government has never entertained the idea of a referendum for the province of Aceh,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said.

But mediators were optimistic about the next round in Finland.

“Obviously, the fact that they’re meeting again after nearly two years is a very good sign,” said Anthony Zinni, a retired US general who mediated in peace talks between the two sides in 2002.

“They’re still feeling each other out, and the key issue remains the autonomy that Indonesia is offering,” said Zinni, who also served as US President George W. Bush’s envoy to the Middle East.

“We’ll see how that plays out, but I’m very encouraged by the fact that they’re talking again.”

An earlier round of negotiations resulted in a five-month ceasefire – the first in the 29-year war – which collapsed in May 2003 when the Indonesian military launched an offensive against the Free Aceh Movement.

In the aftermath of the tsunami that struck Aceh in December, both sides have been under intense international pressure to resume talks and conclude a formal ceasefire.