Waiting for Susilo to keep his promises on Aceh<\/p>\n
Aguswandi, London<\/p>\n
Aceh will be the best place to judge whether the new
\ngovernment will be any different from previous regimes in
\nIndonesia. One of the biggest challenges for Bambang Susilo
\nYudhoyono's government is to resolve the conflict in Aceh
\npeacefully. The way in which Susilo approaches the resolution of
\nthe almost 30 years of conflict in Aceh will show whether he is
\nindeed different.<\/p>\n
Not long after the election, Susilo met with an audience of
\nteachers. He promised he would work to settle the conflict by
\npeaceful means, saying "let us not just go ahead with the
\nmilitary operation". However, he has shown considerable
\nambiguity. He also stated that the country must remain united,
\nand that there could be no compromise on this.<\/p>\n
However, Aceh is a place where actions are infinitely more
\nimportant than words. In the past, many Indonesian politicians
\nhave made numerous promises about Aceh while rarely, if ever,
\ndoing anything to deliver on them. In Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\nacceptance speech after her election to the presidency, the new
\nleader wept in public and promised that no blood would fall in
\nAceh during her time in office. Contrary to these tears and
\npromises, the situation in Aceh was allowed to deteriorate afresh
\nuntil she declared martial law in May 2003.<\/p>\n
As in most other places in Indonesia, Susilo won the second
\nround of the presidential election in Aceh. The Acehnese vote for
\nSusilo, however, was largely due to the population's desperation
\non a number of fronts. The Megawati administration's "solution"
\nto the situation in Aceh not only led to bitter disappointment
\nand more failed promises but to the worsening of daily existence
\non a scale not even seen under Soeharto. Under these
\ncircumstances, it is unsurprising that voters opted for the only
\nchange available and voted for Susilo.<\/p>\n
Yet, Susilo was endorsed only reluctantly by the Acehnese. He
\ndid not win in the first round of the presidential election. That
\nround saw the majority of votes go to Amien Rais, due in large
\npart to his well-known criticism of the Megawati government's
\npolicy in the province. The vote for him was also stimulated by
\nhis close association with Muhammadiyah, whose local and national
\nleaders have vigorously criticized military operations in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The vote was an effort to send an indisputable message to
\nJakarta, showing an unequivocal majority rejection of the
\ngovernment's approach to Aceh. Once Amien was knocked out at the
\nnational level, Aceh lost their only reasonably representative
\ncandidate, and recognized that an overt rejection of Megawati was
\nthe best remaining option.<\/p>\n
Susilo should immediately work to improve the situation in
\nAceh. His much touted legitimacy, as the country's first directly
\nelected president, provides him with a powerful platform from
\nwhich to pursue peace. Re-engaging in dialogue with GAM, and
\ngiving the non-partisan population space at the negotiating
\ntable, will always be hugely unpopular for nationalistic
\nIndonesia, but Susilo's unique position may mean he can take this
\npath to a peaceful solution.<\/p>\n
Susilo needs to assess the current military approach
\nimmediately. The new government should stop and evaluate the
\nadministration of martial law from May 2003 to May 2004, as well
\nas monitoring and reviewing the events of the civil emergency
\nadministration to date. It is imperative that an impartial
\nassessment be made as to how these military operations were
\nconducted. How many civilian have been killed? Susilo should also
\nimmediately respond to rampant human rights violations in Aceh,
\nwhich were allegedly committed by government troops as reported
\nby Komnas HAM, Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch.<\/p>\n
The government should show its commitment to a new and
\nproductive approach in Aceh by opening access to the province.
\nIndependent rights groups that are currently not allowed into the
\nprovince can make clear and credible assessments of the human
\nrights situation in Aceh. Aceh should also be accessible to
\nnational and international journalists.<\/p>\n
The other critical way to move forward in Aceh requires the
\nnew government to lay out their strategy for a viable, credible
\npeace process. Susilo has stated, on many occasions, that he
\nwould like to see the situation in Aceh improve. What is not
\nclear yet is what actions he will be taking to bring about this
\nimprovement.<\/p>\n
On the contrary, he continues to cling to ambiguity and
\nabstract commitments. It is now imperative that Susilo shows the
\nAcehnese that he really does want to bring about peace and
\npositive changes in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The writer is an Acehnese Human Rights Activist and Researcher
\nat TAPOL, The Indonesia Human Rights Campaign, based in London.<\/p>",
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