Aceh's new peace deal

Aceh's new peace deal

Aceh, located at the northwestern tip of Sumatra island, is
Indonesia's westernmost province and is roughly the size of
Kyushu. Aceh has been beset for as many as 30 years by bloody
conflicts between government troops and separatist rebels seeking
the province's independence.

In December, a huge tsunami caused by a giant earthquake off
the Indian Ocean coast struck the region, sweeping away nearly
170,000 of Aceh's residents.

One ray of hope, however, is beginning to appear for the
battered people of Aceh. The Indonesian government and the
separatist rebels have struck a peace deal, which they intend to
sign in August in Helsinki.

The tsunami disaster delivered a heavy blow to both the
Indonesian military and the separatist movement. After the
tsunami struck, the two sides suspended fighting to allow the
province to receive international aid for relief and
reconstruction efforts. Then, a new round of peace talks began.

The tsunami may have made both sides realize the folly of
fighting each other.

The European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) will help monitor the proposed cease-fire. It has
also been agreed that Aceh will receive a large chunk of the
profits gained from exploring natural gas and other resources in
the province.

A similar peace accord was reached between the two sides three
years ago. But the cease-fire collapsed in just five months.
Deep-seated mutual distrust led to the failure to withdraw the
Indonesian forces and disarm the militants.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono needs to exercise strong
and effective political leadership to win over opponents of the
political concession to the rebels.

An end to the conflict in the province would also improve the
security situation in the Malacca Strait, a crucial shipping lane
between Indonesia and the southern tip of Malaysia that is now
infested with pirates. The prolonged conflict in Aceh has
contributed to the rampant activities of such criminal groups.

We hope the agreement between the Indonesian government and
the rebels will finally bring peace and prosperity to Aceh after
so many years of bloodshed and destitution.
-- The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo