Acehnese remain defiant amid efforts to sway them

Acehnese remain defiant amid efforts to sway them

By Tiarma Siboro

LHOKSEUMAWE, North Aceh (JP): Winning the hearts and minds of
the Acehnese is just as difficult as healing a long-sustained
wound, or so it has turned out.

The Acehnese have perceived themselves as being a victim of
numerous injustices. Their major complaint is that while Aceh is
a natural-resource rich province, much of the earnings from these
resources have been centralized in Jakarta.

Some groups have been waging a guerrilla war for an
independent state. The government has responded by sending
thousands of troops to suppress the separatist rebellion.

When the wind of reform swept the country in 1998, the central
government softened its stance. The then Indonesian Armed Forces
chief Gen. Wiranto declared lifting a 10-year military operation
there. Jakarta initiated talks with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
leaders and Aceh was given autonomy.

Under special autonomy status, Aceh has been called Nanggroe
Aceh Darussalam. But the status has failed to impress GAM rebels.
They have stuck to their demand: independence.

The autonomy status has met with a skeptical response from
people in the street.

"What is Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam? I've never heard of it,"
Nasrun, 25, a local civil servant said when The Jakarta Post
asked him whether he was happy about the status, the law that was
signed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"I am saddened that the local government and legislators have
never informed the public about it. They have done nothing."

The common person's skepticism about national identity was
obvious during National Independence Day on Aug. 17. and also
GAM's anniversary on Dec. 4. Many people in Lhokseumawe hoisted
both flags.

According to Nurul Aflah, an 18-year-old student, people have
hoisted the red-and-white national flags or else they risk
harassment by security officers. It has nothing to do with their
sense of nationalism. On Dec. 4, many people raised the GAM flag
for fear of harassment by the GAM.

"Many of them, including my family, keep two flags, one is the
red-and-white national flag and the other is the GAM flag.
Throughout the year, people hoist the flags twice, on Aug. 17 and
on Dec. 4. They do it because they want to be safe, not for any
other reason," she said, adding that people, nevertheless, were
more excited about hoisting the GAM flag.

"It can happen that somebody gets shot while lowering the red-
and-white flag at their home because he is suspected of being a
GAM supporter," Nurul said.

On last week's Independence Day, Lhokseumawe was eerily quiet
and the red-and-white flags flew high all over the place.

"You must come here (Lhokseumawe) to see the eagerness of
these people to hoist the GAM flag on Dec. 4. In comparison to
this day (Indonesian Independence day), the town is more cheerful
when celebrating the GAM anniversary," a soldier who has served
in the province for almost 25 years, told the Post.

"The current situation is much better than it was a year ago
when nobody wanted to hoist the Indonesian flag," he said.

Security authorities in Aceh have categorized Lhokseumawe,
Pidie, Bireun, East, West and South Aceh regencies as "black
regions" -- meaning they are GAM strongholds.

Chief of the Aceh Operation Security Brig. Gen. Zamroni
claimed that 6 out of 20 subdistricts in North Aceh regency
returned to normal after the Indonesian Military (TNI) dispatched
troops to restore security and order there in May on the former
president's order.

The operation, however, has made GAM switch their tactics to
terrorism, according to Zamroni. "They terrorize people with the
aim to force them to join GAM."

"This is a dilemma for us. Should we resort to the repressive
tactics. People have yet to forget their suffering from military
action in the past and so they will hate us.

I admit that we may have committed human rights violations and
I cannot blame the Acehnese either if they hold a grudge against
us. But we've tried to change now, can't they forgive us?", said
Zamroni, a former deputy chief of the Army's Special Force
(Kopassus).