Aceh facing hopeless struggle

Aceh facing hopeless struggle

The Straits Times, Asia News Network, Singapore

The killing of Acehnese rebel commander Tengku Abdullah Syafei by the Indonesian military on Tuesday has dealt a severe blow to the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM). According to the rebels, he was shot dead along with his wife and five guerrillas after Indonesian troops traced him to his jungle hideout, by using a microchip that was embedded in an invitation letter for him to restart the stalled peace talks. If this is true, it shows just how deadly the bloody conflict in Aceh has become. Tengku Abdullah is among the latest of some 10,000 casualties, mostly civilians, who have perished in the resource-rich north Sumatran province since the separatist war began 25 years ago. His death will set back, but not end, the rebel movement's cause to break away from Indonesia. Nor will any government leader in Jakarta, least of all staunchly nationalistic President Megawati Soekarnoputri, ever contemplate acceding to the Acehnese demand for independence.

The GAM guerrillas have come under increasing pressure from the Indonesian army in recent months, especially after Megawati gave it a free hand to put down the rebellion. Jakarta's recent decision to break off peace talks with the rebels and the impending move to reinstate a provincial military command in Aceh point to the deteriorating security situation in the province. The killing of Tengku Abdullah is not going to resolve Aceh's separatist problem. Instead, it is more likely to worsen the conflict.

There is no way to end Aceh's separatist war other than by peaceful means. Violence will not bring either side nearer to its goal. The Acehnese must come around to accepting that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is the only way out of the unending cycle of violence, and that independence for Aceh is not possible when the world recognizes it as an integral part of Indonesia. The new laws that grant Aceh special autonomy -- greater self- rule and more revenues from the central government for the province's oil and gas reserves -- hold the best promise to end the conflict. Sadly, even the implementation of Syariah law in the staunchly Islamic province has not impressed the Acehnese, whose alienation from the central authorities stems from a deep sense of injustice inflicted upon them in the past. The Acehnese have long demanded, to no avail, financial compensation and judicial redress for the military atrocities against them since the Soeharto era. This is something any government in Jakarta must address for it to achieve a lasting settlement with the Acehnese.

To be sure, the atrocities committed by both the military and the rebels have made the conflict more intractable. In the current mood, there is little hope for a resumption of the Geneva peace talks that were discontinued after numerous ceasefires broke down in the past two years. This latest setback for the GAM rebels is going to cause even more resentment among the Acehnese. Last week, the guerrillas enforced a two-day strike in Aceh to protest against alleged brutalities by the police and military troops, and also against Jakarta's plan to revive the provincial military command. The military authorities responded with a shoot-on-sight order against trouble-makers. Aceh has become a hell-hole marked by violent deaths every day, and nothing is being done to stop the murderous war. Unless the rebels lay down their arms -- a remote prospect -- and Megawati's government changes tack to deal with the conflict by political and not military means, the killings will go on.