Acehnese beg for peace, receive loyalty lessons

Acehnese beg for peace, receive loyalty lessons

YS Tong, Journalist, Banda Aceh, Aceh

Thousands of unarmed Acehnese civilians from Banda Aceh began
to gather in a field as early as 7 a.m. on Tuesday for what has
now become a routine activity since the military operation
started in late May.

Dozens of Indonesian soldiers (TNI) in uniform were strolling
casually around the crowd.

Few of the soldiers had guns, and they did not seem in any way
alarmed or intimidated by the overwhelming presence of the
people.

Indeed, they had every reason not to be intimidated. This was,
after all, not exactly a battlefield in a conventional sense.

It was just Blang Padang, the recreation park in the heart of
the capital of Aceh province, with a different look and feel on
Tuesday morning.

The people came here neither to play nor to jog. They stood
before a flagpole which was erected in the center of the field to
be on the receiving end of the government's plan to "win the
hearts and minds of the people."

On the other side of the flagpole was a stage and tents which
sheltered VIPs sitting comfortably in their chairs out of the
sun.

Huge banners encircled the field, displaying messages such as
GAM kembalilah, rakyat sudah terlalu letih (Return to the right
path, GAM, people are tired of you) and Hai separatis GAM, jangan
bakar sekolahku (Hey, GAM separatists, don't burn my
school).

It was clear that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), the separatist
movement which has been fighting for independence for Aceh for 27
years now, was not welcomed at this apel -- a ceremony organized
by the district administration for the Acehnese to pledge their
allegiance and loyalty to the Republic of Indonesia in the form
of oaths.

This apel involved youths from Banda Aceh, comprising mainly
students from secondary schools and representatives from nearby
villages.

It was the latest in a series of apel that have been held over
the past few weeks.

At 8 a.m. sharp, the master of ceremonies called for a
rehearsal while waiting for the arrival of Army Chief of Staff
Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu and Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh.

The crowd was briefed about the two oaths that they were about
to take -- the state ideology of Pancasila and a five-point Ikrar
Pemuda Provinsi Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, or the oath of the
youth of the Nangroe Aceh Darussalam province.

This was followed by a rendition of the national anthem, which
was met with less than a lukewarm response from the people. Their
voices were almost inaudible as the speakers blasted the melody
away.

After singing, several people in the back began to sit or
squat in small groups, puffing cigarettes and chatting while
appearing totally oblivious to the ongoing rehearsal.

This behavior did not go unnoticed by the organizers. One
military officer grabbed the microphone and said in a stern
voice, "No one is to sit or squat! Get back in line or get out of
here!

"We do not want any of you to spoil this. And we do not want
to hear noise from the crowd," he chastised.

The people obeyed his instruction but not for very long. The
sitting, chatting, laughing and smoking soon resumed as they
waited for the "real thing" to start -- and end.

After about an hour, Gen. Riyamizard and Governor Puteh
arrived with their entourage in a bus escorted by the military
police.

The event immediately started with a recital of the Koran.
Then it was the two oaths as promised. The crowd was led through
the reading of the oaths.

"We the youths of Aceh province swear that we will always love
and remain loyal to the integrity of the Republic of Indonesia...
We will not support or be involved in the activities of GAM
rebels...

"We will play an active part in ensuring the success of
development in Aceh as outlined by the government of Indonesia...
We support fully the integrated operation and the martial law
administration in Aceh in order to crush GAM...," they said in a
monotonous, if not mechanical, tone.

Following this, Puteh and Ryamizard gave their speeches. The
military operation was not for the benefit of government
officials, military or police but to ensure lasting peace and
stability for the Acehnese, they stressed.

Puteh also took a swipe at GAM and William Nessen, the
American journalist who has been traveling with GAM for a month
now and has demanded a guarantee of non-interrogation by the
authorities as a condition for him to leave the separatist
movement.

"GAM and foreign journalists are here to stir up problems in
Aceh. Take for example, William Nessen who is not doing anything
good for us. (But) they will have to face the military and police
soon," he said.

Halfway through Ryamizard's speech, it began to drizzle.

The apel was quickly concluded with the release of pigeons,
signifying new hope for peace in Aceh. Helium-filled balloons,
with "Happy birthday" written all over them, were also let off
into the sky.

This finally excited the crowd, especially when a bundle of
balloons descended upon a group of students among the crowd
because of the weight of a banner it carried.

Several students from state Senior High School III Banda Aceh
said they felt "the flame of nationalism" burning within them
after the event, never mind that they could not remember the
content of the oaths that they took less than half an hour
earlier.

These meetings could be risky for some Acehnese who take part.
Last week, two civil servants were shot dead by "unknown gunmen"
hours before they were supposed to attend an apel for local
government staff.

It is even more difficult for others, who still have to go
home and cope with the pressure of day-to-day living and the
dilemma of taking sides with either TNI or GAM.

One small businessman said, "We are bingung (confused) as to
whom we should believe, more confused than ever."

If his words are taken as an overall reflection of the popular
sentiment, the apel was nothing more than an hour of fanfare and
amusement.

It is still far from impressive for the greater part of the
Acehnese population.

YS Tong is a visiting journalist from Bangkok-based Southeast
Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA). He is currently in Indonesia for
one month.