Aceh's new deal<\/p>\n
\"There will be peace.\"
\nA bold statement indeed from Minister of Justice and Human
\nRights Hamid Awaluddin at the conclusion of the Aceh peace
\nnegotiations in Helsinki.<\/p>\n
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) spokesman Bakhtiar Abdullah also
\nexpressed a degree of confidence that the peace process would be
\nsuccessful.<\/p>\n
History will inevitably decide whether Hamid, Bakhtiar and
\nother delegates in Helsinki will be remembered as heroic
\npeacemakers or merely as pawns of \"darker forces\" in the
\nperpetual politicking surrounding Aceh.<\/p>\n
This is not the first time peace seems at hand. In the past
\nrepeated promises were made and broken. Pledges were declared and
\nforgotten and decades of goodwill ended in more suffering and
\nloss.<\/p>\n
Just over 24 months ago, the government declared martial law
\nin the province and began one of the biggest military offenses
\nsince the invasion of East Timor in 1976. Now under a new regime
\nit is offering peace under a rather restricted political format.<\/p>\n
Unlike in previous negotiations, there was an air of urgency
\nand necessity to the five rounds of talks, which began earlier in
\nthe year. The Dec. 26 tsunami, which killed about 130,000 people
\nin Aceh, prompted negotiators to bend and compromise further than
\neach side had ever been willing to do before.<\/p>\n
And so Sunday's announcement of a draft peace agreement set to
\nbe formally signed next month is very much a product of the fear
\nof a second \"tsunami\" -- a wave of hunger, widespread poverty and
\nimpoverishment -- if aid and reconstruction is delayed by the
\ncontinuing political conflict between GAM and Indonesian forces.<\/p>\n
One way or another, GAM's willingness to drop its demands for
\nindependence, and the perseverance of the government in
\ncontinuing the talks has been crafted by the giant tsunami waves.<\/p>\n
Though the circumstances that prompted the agreement were
\ntragic, the silver lining is that the accord is now on the verge
\nof being signed.<\/p>\n
Details about the agreement remain scant and will not be made
\npublic until the formal signing next month. But the overall
\noutline envisages amnesty for rebels forces, disarmament of
\nrebels and the withdrawal of soldiers from the province.<\/p>\n
One of the most delicate issues during the negotiation that
\nwill continue to be a sensitive point of debate is the question
\nof political participation and representation for GAM.<\/p>\n
The government initially rejected GAM's demands for a local
\npolitical party. Fortunately with some diplomacy a compromise was
\nreached. Just exactly what that compromise is has not been
\nrevealed because it is likely to be used as ammunition by the
\npeace spoilers to undermine the settlement.<\/p>\n
Peace in Aceh should not be scuttled based on a law that
\nerroneously perpetuates the domination of Jakarta-based parties.
\nSuch laws can be changed and should not stand in the way of a
\npeace which has been wanting for decades.<\/p>\n
The first and last stretches of a journey are always the
\ntoughest. In the next month there will be enemies of the process,
\nconcerned with vested short-term political interests rather than
\nthe welfare of Acehnese or the peace of mind of Indonesians.<\/p>\n
They will not immediately make themselves apparent, unless
\npublic sentiment turns in their favor. These are people who will
\nmisuse nationalist dogma and clothe themselves in rhetoric,
\nglories and the lies in our history books.<\/p>\n
It is these people that the Indonesian people, Acehnese and
\nrebel forces should unite to fight. They are the real enemy, the
\nfoes of peace.<\/p>\n
Patience and forgiveness should also be readied in abundant
\nsupply for the coming year. A period of adjustment is always
\nnecessary in any new arrangement. There will no doubt be
\nmisunderstandings and disputes over the implementation of the
\npeace agreement. We should not let the technicalities, however,
\njeopardize the bigger objective of peace.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehs-new-deal-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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