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