Ending a cycle of conflict in Aceh<\/p>\n
The peace deal for the Indonesian province of Aceh promises to
\nbreak a relentless cycle of conflict and death. In this case good
\nnews is a direct result of bad; the peace deal is the legacy of a
\ntruly monumental tragedy, the tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004. In a
\nsingle day, 132,000 Acehnese died, dwarfing the 15,000 deaths in
\nalmost three decades of war between Aceh's separatist forces and
\nIndonesian troops. Both sides concede it was this immense loss
\nthat brought them back to the negotiating table; the suffering
\nhad to stop. The Acehnese separatists have dropped their demand
\nfor independence, in favor of autonomy, the key political
\nbreakthrough. However, the Indonesian vice president, Jusuf
\nKalla, was also instrumental in the negotiations. His concession
\nto meet demands for local political parties in Aceh contrasts
\nwith the rancor that caused previous talks to collapse.
\n-- Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ending-a-cycle-of-conflict-in-aceh-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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