A humane dialog

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.