Acehnese hopes dashed

The Acehnese will have to endure yet another six months of suffering after the new government this week extended the state of civil emergency until May 2005. It's appalling to see a golden opportunity slip through the fingers of former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and prove to the nation that he is true to his word.

People are asking, why did Susilo make a decision that effectively froze investigations into corruption cases in Aceh province, and cut into efforts to organize direct elections for local government? Isn't this counter to his own image as a reformer? A lifting of the state of civil emergency would have boosted the government's credibility rather than reduced it, and would give some badly needed fresh air to our crisis-ridden archipelago.

It now looks as if Susilo's administration does not differ much from its predecessor, and Susilo seems to have forgotten the campaign promise he made a couple of months ago when he said he would bring change to Aceh once he became president.

So it was no wonder that on Thursday, the day the extension was made public, the Acehnese demanded that the government pursue dialog with the separatist group to find a peaceful settlement. The Aceh Legislative Council also denied the President's claim that the extension decision was made after a hearing with Aceh councillors.

"If the interests of the Acehnese people was one of the reasons behind the decision, what mistakes did we commit that we have to live under a state of emergency?" Aceh councillor Nasir Djamil asked.

One small consolation for the Acehnese was Susilo's new promise to implement a monthly evaluation of Aceh's emergency status. If, in the eyes of the government, the situation improves then the status might be changed to one of civil order. Another promise made by the President was for an amnesty for surrendering rebel leaders and members, a pledge also made last year by the previous government, with little effect. Susilo said he would pave the way for the province to achieve a full, special autonomy status, but stopped short of giving a time frame. As such, one could be forgiven for failing to find new elements in Susilo's policy on Aceh, because there are no such new elements.

Unfortunately, the decision to extend the state of emergency came right after Ramadhan, when Muslims are traditionally expected to be more forgiving than usual. It would not have been unreasonable for people to hope that during the Ramadhan period the new government would give a respite to the long history of violence in the province, or even reactivate the peace talks that collapsed in 2003. It is indeed a great pity that this has not happened.

The Acehnese lived under martial law from May 2003 to May 2004, and under a state of civil emergency from May 2003 until the present. But whatever the emergency status, the killings have continued unabated. It is not clear if the government has the intention of completely wiping out the remaining GAM members, now estimated at 2,500 guerrillas, down from 5,000 last year. What is clear is that a military solution will never work in Aceh.

For the 4.2 million Acehnese, peace is the one thing most coveted. Susilo, in his former capacity as top security minister, was involved in the short-lived truce last year sponsored by the Geneva-based Henri Dunant Center, insisted on Friday that solving the Aceh problem required a spirit of brotherhood, without the interference of foreigners.

During the Soeharto era, a nine-year long military operation was launched that killed more than 10,000 Acehnese and displaced thousands of others. When Soeharto was toppled in 1998, GAM's strength, which was estimated at 500 at the beginning of the operation in 1989, had increased to 3,000 men and women. This should be evidence enough that a violent approach to solving this problem is doomed to fail.

Subsequent governments have repeatedly broken their promises for peace in the province. When the first direct presidential election was held in September, many Acehnese saw a glimmer of hope. But this week that hope has dimmed.

The Acehnese have come to realize that most of the government's line of thinking has remained unchanged, with only the top leader being replaced. The extension of the state of emergency is a sign that their long wait for fair treatment and justice, economic or otherwise, accountability for human rights abuses, and recognition of their rights and dignity as citizens, may have to be extended as well.