Acehnese pins hope on Helsinki talks

Tony Hotland and Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh

The Acehnese have long dreamed of peace and prosperity in their homeland, which has seen decades of conflict and, at the end of last year, tsunamis that left more than 166,000 people killed or missing and presumed dead.

Local religious leaders and other community figures urged on Wednesday the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to end the separatist conflict in the predominantly Muslim Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

The plea came as the government and rebel group leaders geared up for renewed peace talks in Helsinki, Finland, later this week, following the devastating tidal waves, which many have suggested provided a chance for peace in Aceh.

"The warring parties must sit together and be willing to backtrack, rather than stubbornly maintaining their different stances, because such an attitude cannot result in anything positive and will only prolong the misery of the Acehnese," Tengku Baihaqi Yahya, secretary-general of the Aceh association of the Dayah Muslim scholars, told The Jakarta Post in Banda Aceh.

He said an earlier series of negotiations between the rebels and the government -- who once reached a truce, albeit temporary, in 2002 -- had broken down, due to both sides' unwillingness to compromise.

In the end, those who suffered the most were the ordinary, innocent people of Aceh, he added.

"Everything that happens here, and is related to the TNI (the Indonesian Military)-GAM conflict, has caused nothing but suffering and trauma for the Acehnese. And, if the next peace talks are not successful, it will be everybody's loss.

"You can imagine how much money the government has spent on its military operations here. But after all that, nothing better has emerged for the Acehnese. Do they want to continue in this way, after such a disaster?" Tengku Baihaqi said.

He called on both the TNI and GAM to involve local Muslim leaders in peace talks this week, arguing that religious figures are eager to participate, as long as their security is assured.

"Therefore, the talks should be held in a Muslim country instead of Finland," he said.

Similarly, Acehnese figure Hasballah M. Saad suggested that the government and the separatist group should put the interests of the local people as its top priority during the peace talks.

He expressed hopes that the planned dialog would result in a chance for the two sides to focus on rebuilding Aceh after the catastrophic tsunami.

"They only need a common understanding. If the demand for Aceh's independence is impossible, they have to formulate another resolution," said the former human rights minister.

Hasballah said the amnesty offer proposed by President Susilo Yudhoyono for GAM members could become a starting point for a brighter future in Aceh.

If GAM did not get involved in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Aceh, the rebels could not claim themselves as freedom fighters struggling on behalf of all Acehnese people, he explained.

The most important thing is that both sides should use common sense during the peace talks, he added.

A similar sentiment was expressed by Tengku Muslim Ibrahim, chairman of the Aceh Muslim Scholar's Consultative Assembly, who said that the Acehnese had suffered "more than enough for nothing", due to the separatist conflict.

He said the tsunami catastrophe could be viewed as a chance to stop the violence.

Ordinary people have voiced their own appeals for peace.

"Please, try your best during the talks, we need peace here. Make it work this time, so we no longer live in fear. Personally, I want Aceh to remain part of Indonesia, so GAM must surrender," said Teuku Darnis, 49, who works for a labor agency in Aceh.

"In fact, I don't care whether we are independent or not, as long as our lives improve," said another resident, Helmi.