Aceh leaders fear clashes<\/p>\n
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
With the Helsinki peace deal only a few days away, some Acehnese
\nfigures urged the government on Thursday to prepare the
\ntechnicalities for a plan to grant amnesty to former Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) members and return them to the community.<\/p>\n
If the technicalities were not well thought-out, the
\nreintegration process could spark new problems, said an Aceh
\nfigure, who requested anonymity.<\/p>\n
\"There is a lot of hatred among people for some GAM members
\nwho often extorted and kidnapped their fellow Acehnese. Social
\nclashes could happen after they are given amnesty and returned to
\nthe community,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The problem began in 1998, when the military revoked Aceh's
\nstatus as a Military Operations Area (DOM). Since this was
\nrevoked, there had been many murders of those whose relatives
\nwere suspected of having been Indonesian Military spies. \"The
\nmurders have created hatred among some and they are eager to take
\nrevenge. How can they erase the memories of their relatives who
\nwere abducted and killed?\" he asked.<\/p>\n
In order to prevent social clashes, the Aceh figure urged the
\ngovernment to prepare, among other things, a mechanism for
\ngrassroots reconciliation.<\/p>\n
\"The former GAM members, for example, should attend a
\nreconciliation ceremony called peusijuek held by local
\nsubdistrict officials. During the ceremony, residents and former
\nGAM members would be urged to shake hands and mend their ties
\nafter the decades of conflict,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Member of the House of Representatives from Aceh, Nasir Jamil,
\nshared his concerns.<\/p>\n
\"I agree that reintegration has to be carefully planned. All
\ncommunity members whose integrity is accepted by the public, such
\nas religious leaders, cultural leaders and others, have to be
\ninvolved in the reintegration process,\" said Jamil.<\/p>\n
Jamil said he believed that if those people were involved in
\nthe process, then \"horizontal conflicts\" between former GAM
\nmembers and the community could be avoided.<\/p>\n
While some Aceh leaders expressed concerns about possible
\nchaos during the reintegration process, the public at large were
\ngenerally willing to accept the return of former GAM members to
\nthe community.<\/p>\n
\"If these people have repented and asked for forgiveness, then
\nwe have to accept them. Islam does not teach revenge,\" said
\nYusuf, a resident of Krueng Sabe, Aceh Jaya regency.<\/p>\n
The area where Yusuf lives was labeled a \"black zone\" by the
\nIndonesian military, meaning that it was an area where GAM had a
\nlot of influence.<\/p>\n
Muhammad, a resident of Lhoh Pulo subdistrict, Aceh Besar
\nregency, shared a similar view. \"I can accept it if former GAM
\nmembers return to my neighborhood. However, those former GAM
\nmembers should be former Lhoh Pulo residents whom we know well.
\nIt will make the place tense if the former GAM members coming to
\nour community are outsiders,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-leaders-fear-clashes-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}