Acehnese long to return to their province when peace comes<\/p>\n
Harry Bhaskara, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
If the longed-for peace was achieved in Aceh it could increase
\nthe province's population by more than 20 percent, as people who
\nfled separatist conflict and the recent tsunami returned.<\/p>\n
The Medan-based Aceh Sepakat foundation said it had half-a-
\nmillion members living in North Sumatra. Should they return, the
\npopulation of the province would swell to about 4.5 million.<\/p>\n
\"Before the tsunami, there was the hardship of everyday life.
\nAfter the tsunami, it was about the disaster,\" foundation
\nsecretary-general Muchtar Yacob said.<\/p>\n
The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has fought for the independence
\nof the province since 1976 and clashes with government troops
\nhave cost more than 12,000 lives. While there were no significant
\nagreements reached, delegates from both sides were upbeat after a
\nfourth round of peace talks between government and GAM
\nrepresentatives were held in Helsinki last month. The talks are
\nset to reconvene for a fifth round on July 28.<\/p>\n
Muchtar said most of the Acehnese who had left were
\nbusinessmen who needed a stable, peaceful situation before they
\nwould return.<\/p>\n
He believed the official tsunami death toll in the province
\nwas much higher than the official estimation of 129,000.<\/p>\n
\"It was at least 300,000 people (killed), including those
\nmissing,\" Muchtar told The Jakarta Post and Australian
\njournalists in Medan last Thursday. He estimated that a total of
\nhalf-a-million Acehnese had been killed in the tsunami and the
\npolitical violence since the 1970s.<\/p>\n
Shortly after the tsunami, about 15,000 Acehnese refugees
\nflooded into Medan but most now have returned to Aceh, with only
\na thousand still in the neighboring province.<\/p>\n
Muchtar said Sepakat was a politically neutral foundation,
\nwith its primary work providing community services for its
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
Asked if he had ever heard about GAM torturing its civilian
\ndetainees, Muchtar said he had not.<\/p>\n
\"Common sense dictates that it is very unlikely. I could not
\nimagine GAM ever torturing its own people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Muchtar said he would go home when there was peace.<\/p>\n
\"It is written in the Koran, go to a place where there is
\npeace and go back to your place when peace has returned.\"<\/p>\n
Many Acehnese had lived in a conflict zone for a long time, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Like the Vietnamese, hardship is not something strange for
\nus.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-long-to-return-to-their-province-when-peace-comes-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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