ACEH: AHTISAARI ANGRY OVER TNI MILITARY MOVES

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000492

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2015
TAGS: PREL ID FI
SUBJECT: ACEH: AHTISAARI ANGRY OVER TNI MILITARY MOVES
AGAINST THE GAM

REF: A. HELSINKI 0242

B. HELSINKI 0228

C. JAKARTA 2068 (NOTAL)

D. HELSINKI 0185

Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASON 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Aceh mediator and former Finnish President Martti
Ahtisaari phoned DCM on April 28 and expressed anger and
dismay over reports that he had just received from Aceh
concerning significant Indonesian attacks on GAM positions in
Aceh, including the use of bombs on GAM bases. Ahtisaari
said that based on conversations with his own sources, he did
not believe the attacks were in response to GAM provocations,
but were deliberate assaults launched by the TNI. An
agitated Ahtisaari told the DCM that he was going to call
Indonesian Vice President Kalla and tell him that if the
assaults did not cease at once, he would pull the plug on the
talks, or at least on the upcoming May round.


2. (C) Ahtisaari did not speculate as to whether he believed
the attacks were launched by the TNI on its own initiative or
were sanctioned by the GoI. Finnish businessman and
Ahtisaari confidant Juha Christensen was in Indonesia, and
Ahtisaari expected to receive more information from him
shortly. The Embassy will also attempt to contact
Christensen (who originally brokered the Helsinki talks).


3. (C) Ahtisaari also told the DCM that he believed it
would be very difficult to establish an effective monitoring
force acceptable to both sides. While Ahtisaari has been
talking about a force consisting of 200 unarmed observers,
the GAM were holding out for as many as 1500. Ahtisaari said
that he keeps telling the GAM that it is not the numbers of
observers but their commitment that is important. He also
said that he wants to keep the onus on the parties to reach
settlement and not have them rely on outsiders. He indicated
he would be calling the British, Germans, and Dutch- as well
as the US -to use their influence with the GoI to stop the
renewed TNI assaults on the GAM's remaining military
formations.
MACK