How Aceh weathers the worst<\/p>\n
Javier Solana
\nThe Straits Times
\nAsia News Network\/Singapore<\/p>\n
Late last year, the Indonesian province of Aceh bore the brunt
\nof an Indian Ocean tsunami that killed nearly 150,000 people,
\nleft half a million homeless and destroyed livelihoods and
\ninfrastructure.<\/p>\n
The world responded with unprecedented generosity to help with
\nthe relief effort, but those of us who work for the European
\nUnion did not want to leave it at that -- we wanted to see
\nsomething good come out of the disaster.<\/p>\n
Very discreetly, talks began between the government of
\nIndonesia and rebel fighters of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The
\ntwo sides had been locked in violent conflict for 30 years. After
\nthe tsunami, everyone agreed that Aceh deserved a different
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
With the help of former Finnish president Marti Ahtisaari, the
\ntalks led to a landmark Memorandum of Understanding in mid-
\nAugust.<\/p>\n
The Aceh rebel fighters agreed to give up their armed struggle
\nfor independence and to demobilize. In exchange, the Indonesian
\ngovernment offered far-reaching autonomy for Aceh and an amnesty
\nfor the GAM fighters. The agreement also provided for the
\nestablishment of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM).<\/p>\n
We in the EU wanted to give the peace agreement all the
\nsupport we could. It was a chance to demonstrate, in a tangible
\nway, that the EU was committed to promoting global peace,
\nsecurity and justice.<\/p>\n
We were also convinced this mission would have greater success
\nif carried out in close cooperation with our Asian partners. Five
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members -- Brunei,
\nMalaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- agreed to
\ntake part.<\/p>\n
Since a previous agreement between the government and the
\nrebels had foundered on the question of implementation, everyone
\nknew that the presence of an objective team of monitors would be
\ncritical. So, at the invitation of the Indonesian government, and
\nwith the full support of the rebel fighters, the EU and the five
\nASEAN countries formed the AMM.<\/p>\n
This fruitful regional cooperation has already proved a
\nsuccess and might be a model for future crisis-management
\noperations.<\/p>\n
It is not very often that we can say that a peace agreement is
\nbeing implemented ahead of schedule, and yet that is precisely
\nwhat is happening in Aceh today.<\/p>\n
Since mid-September, in what have been emotional scenes, rebel
\nfighters have been handing in a quarter of their declared weapons
\nto international monitors.<\/p>\n
At the same time, about 1,300 Indonesian police and 6,500
\ntroops have been withdrawn from the province. Where violence and
\ndistrust reigned, politics and hope are returning. It is exactly
\nwhat the people of Aceh and the rest of Indonesia want and
\ndeserve.<\/p>\n
I am delighted that the EU, together with its ASEAN partners,
\nis playing an important supporting role in all this. The AMM
\noversees the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding
\nthat guides the peace process.<\/p>\n
In particular, it supervises and assists with the
\ndemobilization of GAM fighters and the decommissioning and
\ndestruction of its weapons; and it monitors the relocation of
\nIndonesian army and police troops and the re-integration into
\nsociety of GAM members. The AMM also monitors and assists in the
\nfield of human rights<\/p>\n
This is a unique operation in many respects: It is the first
\nEU operation in Asia and the first time the union has worked this
\nway with ASEAN nations. From the topmost level to that of field
\ninspections, this really is a joint EU-ASEAN effort.<\/p>\n
The mission effectively combines the ASEAN knowledge about the
\nregion, religion and culture with the EU's experience of crisis-
\nmanagement operations.<\/p>\n
It is worth stressing that this combined EU-ASEAN format was
\nthe only formula that was acceptable to both parties. Moreover,
\nno international mission has ever been deployed more quickly. It
\nproves that when everyone is focused, innovative forms of
\ninternational partnership can achieve impressive results.<\/p>\n
The first phase of decommissioning and demobilization has gone
\nsmoother, and faster, than many expected. The second phase is
\ntaking place as we speak and two more phases are planned for next
\nmonth and December.<\/p>\n
It is vital to keep up this good momentum and advance with the
\nwider political process so that peace in Aceh can be entrenched.
\nTo do so, both parties must abide by their commitments. But we
\nare ready to play a facilitating role. Twice a week, the head of
\nthe Aceh mission, Pieter Feith, meets a top GAM official and an
\nIndonesian government minister to iron out differences and take
\nthe peace process forward.<\/p>\n
I am pleased that the EU has taken up this challenge. The Aceh
\nmission gives substance to our oft-stated aim of being a
\nstrategic partner for Asia and a steadfast promoter of peace.<\/p>\n
It also shows the great potential of regional cooperation. The
\nsituation in Aceh suggests that humanity is resilient and that,
\neven after a real catastrophe, a society can come together and
\nforge a more hopeful future.<\/p>\n
The writer is the European Union High Representative for the
\nCommon Foreign and Security Policy.<\/p>",
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