Aceh, the Helsinki accord and the future of Indonesia

Jusuf Wanandi, Jakarta

There is now hope for Aceh's peace and development after the recently signed Helsinki accord. The Acehnese, who were the vanguard in the struggle for independence against the Dutch, has always been a vital part of Indonesia. The Dutch tried to subdue the territory from 1875 to 1912, but was never entirely successful. From 1945 to 1949, all Acehnese made a lot of sacrifices during Indonesia's independence struggle.

The civil war in the 1950s and military operations that have taken place on and off for the last 20 years have been a real blemish on Indonesia's political history. Similar conflicts have happened in different parts of Indonesia. All those conflicts and differences, be they political, ideological or economic, have always been overcome by force and military means. As Indonesia strengthens its democracy, it is hoped that differences will be resolved in a more civilized way by political means. The peace accord for Aceh, signed on Aug. 15, 2005, could mark the beginning of a new era for Indonesia.

The resolution of the conflict in Aceh, as laid down in the Helsinki accord, is in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that has yet to be worked out in various laws and government regulations as well as local norms and policies that will be agreed upon by both sides, the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

It was perhaps largely the devastation caused by the tsunami that has brought about the positive political change. The tragedy demonstrated that all Indonesians care about Aceh, in words and deeds. It made the Acehnese aware that other Indonesians do care about them. Perhaps they also realize that the enormous task of rehabilitation and reconstruction could only be done with the help of the rest of Indonesia. It seems to me that GAM was fully aware of the changed perception on the part of the Acehnese people. GAM was also seriously affected as their supply sources were cut off by the tsunami disaster. This may have led to their readiness to compromise to reach a political solution.

Political leaders and the public in Jakarta may argue ad nauseam about some of the articles in the Helsinki accord that are seen as dangerous for the future unity of the country or overly generous toward GAM. This may well be the case. However, the problems may prove to be less serious when the agreement is implemented later on. Much of the nitpicking that is going on is either due to the unhappiness on the part of some key politicians with the secretive process of negotiations or due to the belief that Aceh essentially wants to secede.

I think what the Acehnese desire is not a separation from Indonesia but to be treated justly, to have a chance for a decent life and to enjoy some of the wealth that lies within the natural-resource rich province. Our political leaders should consider the historical facts and the political background that led to the conflict and they should show magnanimity towards the Acehnese who have suffered so much. We, in Jakarta and other parts of Indonesia, are the stronger party. GAM has given up the struggle for independence by coming to the negotiating table. It is now our turn to show our appreciation and to give them the chance to fully become one of us.

We still need to be observant and judicious about the implementation of the MOU, but we must give it a chance to be implemented. We must also reach out to our brothers and sisters in Aceh so as to regain their trust in the Republic of Indonesia.

We should thank former president of Finland Ahtisaari, the European Union as well as the ASEAN members involved in the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) for their support for the peaceful resolution of the Aceh conflict. In this globalized world, this is the kind of support that we expect to come from the international community. Our members of the House of Representatives and other politicians should not see this as international interference.

The process of negotiations may not be to the liking of many legislators and politicians because they were left in the dark. This is often necessary to get things moving. In all fairness, we have to congratulate the President and the Vice President and the ministers concerned for the positive outcome of the process.

It is the beginning of a new era for the people of Aceh, who now have a real chance to live in peace and to develop their region. It also means a new era of reconciliation in other parts of the country, particularly Papua.