Next steps for Aceh after the peace pact<\/p>\n
Veena Siddharth, New York<\/p>\n
When the Indonesian government and the armed separatists of
\nthe Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed their peace agreement this
\nweek, they demonstrated that even the darkest cloud may have a
\nsilver lining after all. Last December's devastating tsunami
\nkilled or injured hundreds of thousands of Acehnese, but the
\nresponse brought an enormous amount of international goodwill and
\nassistance for the reconstruction and development of the
\nprovince, and restarted previously unsuccessful peace talks.<\/p>\n
As a result, the Acehnese could finally get a real chance to
\ndevelop and prosper in a safe and peaceful environment. Failure,
\nhowever, could plunge an already devastated province into renewed
\nconflict with little likelihood of overcoming the twin disasters
\nof deluge and war.<\/p>\n
Of course we have been here before. In December 2002, after
\nthirty years of fighting marked by human rights abuses, thousands
\nof deaths, and total impunity for those responsible for war
\ncrimes, the Indonesian government and GAM signed a cessation of
\nhostilities agreement. But after just a few months, the agreement
\nfell apart and full scale hostilities began anew in the province.<\/p>\n
For today's agreement to be sustainable, success rests on two
\nelements: First, both sides must abide by the agreement in good
\nfaith. Second, there must be focused attention to human rights.
\nBoth elements require an active commitment from both sides and
\nclose, objective, monitoring with strong international
\ninvolvement.<\/p>\n
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made
\nsecuring peace for Aceh a priority, but the Indonesian military's
\nenthusiasm and support for the peace agreement has been less
\nclear. The military has major financial interests in the province
\nthat will be curtailed by this agreement, as well as a
\nlongstanding antipathy to its autonomy. The history of
\nIndonesia's armed forces in East Timor, West Papua, and the
\nMaluku islands, together with a general lack of reform of the
\nmilitary, mean that their actions during the next few months must
\nbe scrutinized.<\/p>\n
Pointing out the military's poor record in Aceh is not to
\nignore GAM's own sad history of abusive behavior. The human
\nrights abuses perpetrated by both sides to the conflict have
\nfueled the conflict in Aceh. The promotion and protection of
\nhuman rights were conspicuously absent from the 2002 cease-fire
\nagreement; this time around, such protection will be key to
\nmaking this new peace deal work and ending the cycle of violence.<\/p>\n
To their credit the Indonesian government is allowing monitors
\nfrom the EU and ASEAN member states to monitor the implementation
\nof the agreement on the ground. However, for their efforts to be
\nas effective as possible the following areas will be critical:<\/p>\n
* Full access to the entire province. Most of Aceh has
\nremained closed to the international community since May 2003,
\nwhen military operations recommenced in earnest. Even after the
\ntsunami, access was largely limited to the coastal areas
\ndevastated by the earthquake and tsunami.. Monitors should be
\nallowed full access, subject only to genuine security
\nrestrictions. This access should also extend to humanitarian
\nworkers and members of the domestic and foreign media.<\/p>\n
* A strong human rights mandate. The international monitors'
\nmandate should include public reporting and timely interventions,
\nprivate and public, to address human rights and international
\nhumanitarian law violations by all sides. They should collect and
\npreserve evidence of human rights violations which can be used in
\npossible subsequent legal proceedings. Human rights experts
\nshould be part of the monitoring mission, with a significant
\npresence of women and experts with knowledge of abuses related to
\nsexual violence.<\/p>\n
* Highlight vulnerable groups. The international community
\nshould take steps to protect vulnerable groups, particularly
\nwomen, children, and those displaced by the conflict. Both sides
\nhave reportedly engage din rape and other violence against women.
\nIndonesian security forces have arrested or arbitrarily detained
\nwomen in Aceh as punishment if their male relatives have fled the
\nprovince. Security forces also regularly target young men, as
\nsuspected GAM sympathizers, with beatings, forced disappearances
\nand arbitrary detention.<\/p>\n
* Back civil society. For peace to really take hold in Aceh it
\nwill be essential to strengthen local civil society. Under the
\nconflict human rights defenders and members of non governmental
\norganizations have been killed, abducted, and subjected to verbal
\nand physical intimidation by both sides. Both the Indonesian
\nGovernment and GAM should offer explicit guarantees to ensure
\nprotection for human rights monitors, civil society members, and
\nhumanitarian workers.<\/p>\n
* Accountability for past and ongoing violations. Impunity for
\npast and ongoing human rights violations has created an
\nenvironment of mistrust between the Acehnese and the Indonesian
\ngovernment. The new peace deal contains a provision for the
\nestablishment of an ad hoc court in Aceh to hear cases of human
\nrights violations in the province. While a welcome first step
\ntowards accountability it is critical to maintain this court's
\nindependence and there should be no general amnesty for
\nperpetrators of human rights crimes. International monitors
\nshould publicly report on violations by both sides, and press
\nthem to take measures to hold perpetrators within their own ranks
\naccountable.<\/p>\n
* Outreach and regular reporting. The people of Aceh will only
\nhave confidence in the peace agreement if they feel part of it.
\nThe Government of Indonesia, GAM and the international monitors
\nshould disseminate information about the peace agreement in both
\nAcehnese and Indonesian. The mandate of the EU and ASEAN
\nmonitoring missions, their terms of engagement and components
\nshould also be public.<\/p>\n
There is much at stake with this new agreement. The people of
\nAceh have suffered through years of conflict and the devastating
\nferocity of last December's tsunami was an added blow. This may
\nbe Indonesia's last chance to reach a viable long-term solution
\nto the conflict, and tap into this international support.<\/p>\n
Veena Siddharth is the Asia Advocacy director for Human Rights
\nWatch.<\/p>",
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