Acehese demand more inclusive talks
Nani Afrida and Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh/Medan
Prominent Aceh figures and scholars appeared lukewarm on Tuesday about the recent peace talks between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, saying that the talks were "elitist".
They suggested that the two sides should include other constituencies in Aceh in the next peace talks scheduled to be held in the near future as no Indonesian or GAM leaders were capable of representing the Acehnese people.
"They held talks for around three years and they resulted in nothing but violence. They have to change the strategy. They must involve other elements so as to elicit more views about the solution to the conflict," said scholar Syaifudin Bantasyam.
Acehnese academics have long being saying that inclusive talks were necessary to increase the credibility and legitimacy of the peace talks, thus making them better able to bring about a permanent peace in the province.
Peace negotiations between the Indonesia government and GAM leaders in Sweden began in 2001 but failed to produce peace as both sides refused to budge from their predetermined positions. The failure of the negotiations led to violence in May 2003 when the Indonesian government launched a major offensive against GAM.
After more than a year and a half of conflict, the tsunami disaster of Dec. 26 last year provided a window of opportunity for both sides to resume talks, but the two days of discussions last week in Helsinki failed to produce a breakthrough, except for a promise that both sides would meet again in the near future for another round of negotiations.
In a separate development, the chairman of the Medan-based Aceh Sepakat organization, Fauzi Usman, said that the tsunami disaster, which killed about 130,000 Acehnese, should have prompted the two sides to come to their senses.
Aceh Legal Aid Institute coordinator Rufriadi added that what mattered now was how to encourage the two sides to give up their entrenched positions and instead focus more on promoting the prosperity of Aceh.
"They need to highlight the humanitarian issues going on right here and now. Aceh needs a cease-fire, a humanitarian pause. Afterwards, they can start talking about resolving the conflict from the political point of view," he said.
Although the Acehnese had little to say in public about the failed talks, Rufriadi said he believed that most Acehnese must have been hoping the negotiations would be fruitful.
"I believe they do care, but perhaps they don't expect a lot this time around after the previous series of failed negotiations," he said.
Abbas, a civil servant in the resource-rich province, merely said, "Let them negotiate, we don't care. Right now what we care about is how to survive and get over the trauma of losing our loved ones," he said.