A humane dialog

Indonesia's westernmost province is quite aptly called the special provincial territory of Aceh. Before World War II, the ruling Dutch, who had established their authority elsewhere in the archipelago during the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, managed to pacify the territory only in the 1930s, shortly before the outbreak of war.

Before that, and long before the first merchants-navigators arrived from Europe during the era of the spice trade in the 15th and 16th centuries, merchants from China, Saudi Arabia and India visited Aceh's ports to trade. Islam gained its first foothold there and has since grown deep roots in the local community. Aceh at present is the only province of Indonesia where syariah (Islamic law) is recognized.

Unfortunately, Aceh at present is known also for the killings, the violence and the human rights abuses -- committed by both Acehnese guerrillas and Indonesian government troops -- that have tormented the region for the past few decades. It is believed that during all the years of the Dutch colonial war at the beginning of the previous century, fewer civilians were killed than in the last three decades or more as part of a free Indonesia, with members of the Indonesian Military being accused of having committed gross human rights violations.

That is why many people, in Aceh and outside, have been putting so much hope in the peace talks hosted by the Swiss-based Henri Dunant Center for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva during the week. An earlier agreement for a truce, reached in talks in Geneva between representatives of the Indonesian government and the Stockholm-based Free Aceh Movement (GAM), came into effect on June 2 and was to expire on Sept. 2.

The purpose, obviously, was to give both sides in the ongoing conflict the chance to get together to seek a peaceful settlement of their differences. Far from reaching an amicable settlement, however, the two sides continued to fight and to kill while accusing each other of violating the Geneva agreement.

So in the second meeting in Geneva last Sunday, both parties agreed to extend the "humanitarian pause" until Jan. 6. Both sides, a statement said, "agreed to enter exploratory talks in order to come to a lasting and comprehensive political solution for Aceh". In order to ensure that the truce will be properly observed this time, a truce monitoring team representing both sides will be sent to the four areas of Aceh most affected by violence.

Furthermore, the two sides committed themselves to "the early and safe return of internally displaced people to their homes and to prevent a new exodus, as well as to the safety of humanitarian workers". On paper at least it might look as if both sides are serious this time to come to a negotiated settlement of their dispute.

Given the opposing positions on both sides, however -- GAM demanding complete independence from Indonesia and Jakarta insisting that any settlement must be within the framework of a unitary Indonesian state -- it is doubtful, to say the least, that a peaceful solution can be achieved anytime soon. To add to Jakarta's problems, a continued and excessive use of force to keep the country's territorial integrity intact would only have the opposite effect of strengthening the independence spirit on the part of the Acehnese.

In past weeks, Acehnese guerrillas have continued to target government and police facilities in their attacks. On Monday, a rebel bomb destroyed the Pidie regency office. The day before, a bomb and arson attack demolished the official residence of the Aceh Besar regent, Sayuti Ismail. And several people on both sides were killed in shooting incidents. Further doubt concerns the question of who GAM actually represents.

The only hope is that both sides have by now come to the realization that the only hope for peace in the troubled province is to allow emotions to simmer down and for rationality to return. This can only be done if both sides refrain from taking destructive and violent actions and pave the way for a "humanitarian dialog", as the Henri Dunant Center calls it, to take place. Allowing the present stalemate to continue will only harm the hundreds of thousands of innocents whose only interest is survival.