Acehnese worry about future if peace talks break down

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.