Hoping for peace<\/p>\n
Desperate positivism. That could be a way of describing the
\nreactions toward the recently concluded talks in Helsinki between
\nAceh separatist leaders (GAM) and Indonesian government
\nrepresentatives.<\/p>\n
The two-day meeting provided little substance in terms of
\nprogress on ending the ongoing hostilities. Calling the talks
\npositive may be clutching at straws.<\/p>\n
Many in this country, not least our respected legislators,
\nhave viewed the talks with snide skepticism. There are certainly
\nmany question marks hanging over the talks, especially the nature
\nin which they came about, as it was initially patterned closer to
\na "corporate takeover" than a diplomatic negotiation. In fact,
\nmany of Indonesia's senior diplomats who took part in previous
\ntalks were left in the dark over developments in the latest
\ntalks.<\/p>\n
But after two years of war and impasse, and on the heels of
\none of the worst natural disasters in history, the decision to
\ncontinue talks at some point in the near future is a positive
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
At the very least, the two sides, by all accounts, did not
\nleave the table in anger. In diplomacy, this could be what is
\ndescribed as "agreeing to disagree". There have been continued
\nreports of clashes on the ground between government soldiers and
\nrebels, however trading words among top representatives is better
\nthan exchanging gun fire. The talks show that there is goodwill
\namong the two sides to seek a more amiable solution to the
\nfighting, which generations of Acehnese have had to suffer
\nthrough.<\/p>\n
It is our hope that those involved in the armed clashes will
\nfinally recognize that there is a greater enemy currently
\nthreatening the lives of Acehnese. That enemy is hunger, illness
\nand suffering brought about by the tsunami.<\/p>\n
But even with our contentment over this initial round of
\ntalks, it is imperative that government officials hastily prepare
\na follow-up concept, which can be brought to the table.<\/p>\n
One Indonesian minister was quoted as saying that "future
\nmeetings would seek a comprehensive peace settlement". This
\nencouraging remark, we hope, can be interpreted as a desire to
\nwiden the talks to include the most relevant stakeholders in the
\nAceh issue. There is little point in imposing a peace that the
\nAcehnese themselves have little dividend in.<\/p>\n
Increasing the number of people involved comes with risks.
\nForemost is the danger that negotiations could descend into a
\ncacophony of ideas and subplots rather than a simple dialog
\nfocused on stopping the gun fire. But, if managed properly, the
\ngeneral involvement of a wider spectrum of local leaders will
\nalso serve as peer pressure for both GAM and the government to
\nhash out a mutually acceptable agreement.<\/p>\n
Who better to shape the future of Aceh than the Acehnese?<\/p>\n
Another proposal that could be considered, would be to find a
\nrole for the armed rebels in the reconstruction of Aceh. Given
\nthe scale of the devastation and massive rebuilding program,
\nsurely there is a role for these native Acehnese.<\/p>\n
It is our hope that the next series of talks will further
\nexamine the common ground along with ways and means by which the
\ntwo parties can alleviate the pain caused by the tsunami.<\/p>\n
If either side resumes talks in the near future without
\nbringing forth an open mind and qualified proposals for which to
\nwork on, then these talks will only have been window dressing to
\nappease critics of the violence in Aceh.<\/p>\n
To major political players in Indonesia, we ask that the
\nsluggishness of the talks be given the benefit of the doubt. Do
\nnot cloud the remote chance for peace with superfluous issues of
\nnationalistic chauvinism.<\/p>\n
In particular, rebel forces and soldiers in Aceh should
\nconsciously make every effort to refrain from shooting each
\nother.<\/p>\n
Peace now needs to be the top priority, and it needs
\neverybody's full support.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hoping-for-peace-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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