Acehnese worry about future if peace talks break down

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

While many take peace for granted, for the Acehnese it is a treasured, yet elusive goal, reflected in the mixed reactions to the ongoing dialog between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland.

Some wish the best for the two parties in the conviction that the current peace talks will put an end to the long-standing conflict in the resource-rich province.

Others, however, are apparently no longer pinning any hopes on the dialog after the previous rounds of talks brought nothing but misery for the people here.

Ilias, 34, is of the first category. While he rarely voices his optimism, he knows deep down that the patience will bear sweet fruit.

"As a human being, we have to be optimistic. I truly hope that the current dialog between the government and the GAM will eventually bring peace for us here," he said.

Ilias did acknowledge that the previous talks between the two sides had not produced satisfactory results, but said that an agreement between the two parties was imperative now.

"Especially after the tsunami and all the tragedies we've gone through. If there's no peace, there's no development. Thus, it is the people who will continue to suffer," lamented Ilias.

Forty-five-year-old Ridwan shares a similar hope. He believes that there will be peace for the Acehnese people.

"When there's peace, we can work. We can prosper in this time of difficulty, business-wise," said Ridwan, a street vendor.

Abdullah, 66, from the Lhoksukon district has one important suggestion for the parties in dialog to ponder.

"Take a step back, yield if necessary. Think of us here. We've had enough of all manner of suffering," he said.

Not everyone is confident nor upbeat, though.

Burdened with thoughts about how to survive after the tsunami, many have not given any attention to news of the Helsinki talks.

Many others are fearful of what will happen if the current talks break down.

"If this one fails, the only direction we the Acehnese will head for is down. No one will ever buy the promise of peace, no matter who sells it," said an Acehnese public figure who wished to remain anonymous.

"History has taught us not to put trust in peace talks," he added.

The peace talks between the Indonesian government and the GAM resumed on Thursday; the fourth round of talks facilitated by the Helsinki-based Crisis Management Initiative (CMI).

The first three did not bring about any impressive developments that could hint at a possible end to the conflict between the two parties.

GAM has been seeking independence for the province since 1976, leading to a decades-long bloody conflict that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people.

Similar talks were held in Tokyo in 2003 during the administration of Megawati Soekarnoputri, which failed to reach any conclusive decisions. The outcome was a year-long imposition of martial law.

Just two weeks ago however, the government lifted the state of emergency, but decided to continue military operations to crush GAM rebels.