US embassy cable - 05HELSINKI492

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, Aceh Talks 
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