Aceh monitor anxiety

Aceh monitor anxiety

Ravaged by nature, plundered by greed; the scars of suffering
will be difficult to wipe from our national psyche.

It is hard to get excited about suggested "breakthroughs" on
resolving the conflict in Aceh. Promises have been broken and
repeated initiatives have fallen by the wayside. The end result
of years of political pledges and hundreds of hours of diplomatic
speak, is that the suffering continues unabated.

Despite a couple failed attempts to make peace, there is,
frankly, little political will on either side -- the government
or separatist -- to come to an amicable resolution, which would
allow the Acehnese to live in peace.

There are those inhumane among us who seem more interested in
maintaining an atmosphere of antagonism in the province than a
solution to the conflict. This a sad reality, which Indonesia
cannot excuse.

This nation has been guilty of omission by permitting
injustice toward its brothers and sisters in Aceh to continue. We
-- the people of Indonesia -- have been accomplices to a reign of
terror in Indonesia's westernmost province.

When the tsunami of Dec. 26 devastated the shores of Nanggroe
Aceh Darussalam, a renewed mood of political cooperation briefly
dawned on the nation.

Friend and foe alike were of the same mind-set: everybody
needed to unite to provide relief and to assist and rebuild the
devastated province.

There was suddenly a climate conducive to a commencement of
informal talks to bring about a respite in Aceh.

Five months and four rounds of negotiations later, the distant
roar of narrow-minded persons who call themselves "nationalists"
are beginning to be heard once again.

They are leading a growing chorus of critics whose "manhood"
is threatened by the fact that a "foreign" institution (the CMI
in Finland) may yet be able to facilitate progress in peace talks
between the government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
representatives.

Lawmakers are already grumbling about the possibility of
having foreign observers (from the EU) in Aceh to monitor
whatever peace accords are eventually reached.

Do these Jakarta lawmakers not realize that after years of
abuse, a lot of people in Aceh consider them more alien than real
foreigners, who will arrive and show credible respect for the
Acehnese?

Many arguments concerning domestic sovereignty may well be
valid, and the "internationalization" of Aceh may unnecessarily
"invite" foreign intervention into a domestic issue.

But Indonesia cannot summarily reject peaceful initiatives on
Aceh after it has utterly failed to bring peace and prosperity to
people in the province.

For all intents and purposes, successive Indonesian
governments, because of their exploitation, patronizing behavior
and habitual use of terror in the province, may have has lost any
legitimacy to represent the interests of Aceh. Simply put "I'm
sorry" no longer suffices. Empty promises are not a good enough
reason for the Acehnese to believe that we care.

By scuttling potential peace in Aceh, just because a few
Jakartans, who have not been to Aceh in years, do not want a few
dozen foreign observers there is reckless behavior.

In jeopardizing peace, one also sabotages reconstruction
efforts for those in dire need. How can Aceh fully engage in
redevelopment if at any moment there is a likelihood of a gun
battle?

We support the resolution of the Aceh conflict within the
framework of the unitary state of Indonesia. That should be the
foremost option discussed on the negotiating table.

But the final objective should be the welfare and well-being
of the Acehnese.

If there is a cost to peace, then Indonesia should seriously
consider bearing it. And if that entails having foreign observers
on the ground, then it is a small price to pay.

If certain politicians are so "allergic" to the presence of
foreigners in Aceh, Jakarta could, like it did during a previous
failed cessation of hostilities agreement, invite the presence of
observers from "friendly" neighbors deemed less threatening. The
cooperation of Thailand and the Philippines, for example, could
be sought for such a process.

Indonesia's national sovereignty is an important element in
the negotiations for conflict resolution. Nevertheless, basic
human rights -- the right to live in peace, free from fear and
provision of basic welfare -- is an undisputable God-given
entitlement.

Ultimately, basic human rights precedes nationalist
sovereignty.