ACEH: FINNISH MEDIATOR AHTISAARI PLEASED WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000127

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/IET, EUR/NB, INR/EAP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2015
TAGS: PREL PHUM MOPS ASEC ID FI
SUBJECT: ACEH: FINNISH MEDIATOR AHTISAARI PLEASED WITH
FIRST ROUND OF GOI/GAM TALKS

REF: A. JAKARTA 0564


B. STOCKHOLM 086

Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND D)


1. (C) Poloff on January 30 spoke with former Finnish
President Ahtisaari's special assistant Kristiina Rinkineva.
Ahtisaari is the head of Finland's Crisis Management
Initiative (CMI),a conflict-resolution think tank, and had
agreed to hosting a meeting of GAM and GoI representatives
after being approached by a Finnish businessman with strong
ties to Indonesia. Rinkineva, who accompanied Ahtisaari
during the negotiating sessions, said that both she and
Ahtisaari believed the initial round of talks had "probably
been more positive than we expected." She said that the GoI
and GAM representatives had met face-to-face twice, once on
January 28 and again during a lengthy session on January 29.
Rinkineva opined that the mere fact that the two sides were
able to meet in the same room and conduct a civilized
discussion was a "significant victory." During one session,
Ahtisaari and Rinkineva left the room and the GoI and GAM
leaders held a lengthy private discussion. She said that
there appeared to be a general agreement on both sides to end
the military conflict in Aceh and work toward a peace
settlement.


2. (C) Rinkineva told Poloff that while both sides
seemingly expressed a genuine desire to end hostilities and
reach a lasting solution, they differed on the means to
achieve this. The GoI representatives wanted to talk
immediately about a comprehensive settlement. They were less
enthusiastic about a "staged" agreement that would eventually
normalize the situation in Aceh. However, the GAM leaders
envisioned a more gradual process, beginning with an
immediate ceasefire in Aceh, followed by negotiations on an
amnesty for exiled GAM leaders and fighters, and then talks
about Aceh's political future. Rinkineva said that the GAM
leaders stuck to this line throughout the discussions.
Although the two sides differed on approach, Rinkineva
reported that Ahtisaari had said that they "shared the same
goal, but simply by two separate roads," and further remarked
that he (Ahtisaari) did not believe the GAM leaders were
under any illusions about the "weak hand" that they held in
the negotiations.


3. (C) Rinkineva said that the talks had then moved on to
whether an enhanced autonomous status for Aceh could be the
framework for a comprehensive settlement, with the GAM
leaders "probing the limits" of just what such an enhanced
status might mean. At that point, however, both sides felt
the need to consult with their respective authorities and
Ahtisaari ended the discussions. Although there had
originally been plans for a third session on the morning of
the 30th, the talks had progressed more quickly than
expected, and Ahtisaari believed it best to allow both sides
time for consultation before continuing.


4. (C) Ahtisaari invited both sides to a second round of
talks in Helsinki in the near future; Rinkineva said that the
GAM and GoI representatives agreed, although the timeframe
has not yet been established. Ahtisaari released a brief
public statement on the talks on January 29. An English
translation of the statement's text can be found on the CMI's
website at www.cmi.fi.

MACK