A dialog for Aceh<\/p>\n
With the urgency growing by the day for the problems in Aceh
\nto be properly addressed, Indonesians are putting their best hope
\nfor a conclusive solution in a seemingly simple word: dialog.<\/p>\n
A dialog, according to one of the definitions given by the
\nMerriam Webster's dictionary, is a discussion between
\nrepresentatives of parties to a conflict that is aimed at
\nresolution.<\/p>\n
In principle, it appears simple enough. Clearly, the conflict,
\nwhich has been festering for several decades but of late has
\nalmost reached the level of an open rebellion, must be resolved
\nwithout delay if the unity of the nation is to be preserved.<\/p>\n
Obviously, too, a free and open dialog between the two sides
\nis the only way to a settlement, since one almost 10 years of
\nmilitary force and oppression under past regimes has already
\nproved to be totally ineffective -- not to say counterproductive
\n-- in pacifying the rebellious sentiment of the Acehnese.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, there is nothing simple about the relationship
\nthat exists at present between the central government in Jakarta
\nand this westernmost of the country's provinces. At the risk of
\noversimplifying a complex issue -- and one that has become
\nincreasingly more tangled with the passing of time -- it is
\nprobably correct to say the problem of Aceh is essentially one of
\nshattered trust and a wounded sense of justice.<\/p>\n
Aceh never was a region that outsiders found easy to
\nsubjugate. The Dutch, whose presence in the Indonesian
\narchipelago lasted more than 300 years until World War II, fought
\nlong, bloody campaigns in the rebellious territory, only
\nsucceeding in \"pacifying\" the area shortly before the start of
\nthe war in the Pacific. After Indonesia became an independent
\ncountry, an Islamic insurgency plagued the province for years
\nbefore a negotiated settlement restored peace.<\/p>\n
Although religious sentiments speak strongly among the
\nstaunchly Muslim Acehnese, it is the perceived unfair
\ndistribution of wealth that is the crux of the broad popular
\ndiscontent. Aceh, with its vast natural resources, is one of the
\ncountry's richest provinces. Considering the area's contribution
\nto the national coffers, the Acehnese feel that they are
\nreceiving a vastly disproportionate measure of the returns for
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's initial mistake in responding to this growing
\ndiscontent was to send troops in ever greater numbers to suppress
\nthe increasingly defiant protests. Untrained and unequipped to
\ndeal with problems that are in essence human and social in
\nnature, it appears that many of the troops resorted to using
\nbrute force. The widespread human rights abuses that resulted
\nfrom the strong-arm approach appear to have been the turning
\npoint in the present clamor for an independence referendum in
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
As the situation stands at present, it would seem that, aside
\nfrom an immediate East Timor-style referendum, a free and open
\ndialog between Jakarta and the Acehnese indeed offers the best
\nhope for a solution that benefits not only the Acehnese, but the
\nIndonesian nation as a whole. Such an open dialog, however,
\npresumes a willingness on the part of all parties involved to
\nkeep an open mind, to listen to each other and to find a commonly
\nacceptable way out of the present difficulties.<\/p>\n
To start with, there should be no preconditions. Most
\nimportantly, there must be a willingness on all sides to see that
\njustice is done. This implies a willingness to accept full
\naccountability for wrongs done in the past. For some, this is
\ncertain to be difficult to accept, but justice must be allowed to
\ntake its course if the problem of Aceh is to be resolved once and
\nfor all. For some in the Indonesian Military (TNI), the burden of
\ntruth in this case could be hard to bear. Yet, it is by making
\nthese sacrifices that they can prove their true commitment to the
\nnation.<\/p>\n
As for the government of President Abdurrahman Wahid, this
\ncould be the first and last chance it has to prove its mettle and
\nwin the full confidence of the nation and the world.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-dialog-for-aceh-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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