The Government of the Republic of Indonesia highly appreciates the various expressions of support for the territorial integrity of Indonesia and notes the dissapointment and regret expressed by Governments on the failure of the dialogue between Indonesia and Free Aceh Movement ("GAM").

Encouraged by the initial sign of progress achieved through the dialogue, the Government and people of Indonesia have invested a great deal of efforts and hope that this process would once and for all, and comprehensively, resolve the situation in Aceh within the unitary state of Indonesia. Unfortunately, over the five months period of the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA), "GAM" launched a campaign of disinformation rejecting Aceh as an integral part of Indonesia, conducted indiscriminate acts of terror and extortion against innocent civilians and did everything possible to sabotage the dialogue. Disregarding those acts of terror, the Indonesian Government persevered in its attempts to pursue the path of dialogue in order to find a peaceful settlement based on the GAM's explicit acceptance of the unitary state of Indonesia, special autonomy as a final solution and the placement of their weapons. However, those endeavours of the Indonesian Government were in vain due to the sabotage of GAM. Indonesia's readiness to the holding of the Tokyo Meeting from 17 to 18 May, 2003, showed its continued commitment to dialogue, but in spite of that, the Meeting failed because of GAM's stubbornness and irresponsibility. Their utter refusal to lay down their weapons as required under COHA show that their only claim to legitimacy and authority is through the barrel of the gun. Nothing less than the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Indonesia are at stake.

The Indonesian Government could not stand idle in facing the spread of GAM's terrorist activities in the past few days, including the burning of 248 schools, destruction of property and killings of innocent civilians. The life and welfare of ordinary civilians must be protected from GAM's terrorist activities. Indonesia, like other nations and countries, has the sovereign rights and responsibility to restore peace and order within its own nation and its own territory and to protect its vulnerable civilians from acts of terror. Indonesia was left with no other options but to use force to restore its sovereignty and to protect its territorial integrity and determined to uphold law and order in Aceh by taking all necessary measures to allow normal daily life to return in that province. The ultimate decision of the Indonesian Government was taken after a long deliberation in a democratic manner.

In line with such perspective, the combined operation launched by the Indonesian Government is deliberately multi-faceted involving not only the restoration of security and the enforcement of law, but also humanitarian assistance and empowerment of the local government. The democracy provides a build in control of the implementation of the combined operation from any excesses. The Government and people of Indonesia cherish the new found and hard-fought democratic freedom they now enjoy. GAM seeks the separation of Aceh from Indonesia. However, not a single country in the world including all the UN member states as asserted by the UN Secretary General, supports the rebels' aspiration.