Ending a cycle of conflict in Aceh

Ending a cycle of conflict in Aceh

The peace deal for the Indonesian province of Aceh promises to
break a relentless cycle of conflict and death. In this case good
news is a direct result of bad; the peace deal is the legacy of a
truly monumental tragedy, the tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004. In a
single day, 132,000 Acehnese died, dwarfing the 15,000 deaths in
almost three decades of war between Aceh's separatist forces and
Indonesian troops. Both sides concede it was this immense loss
that brought them back to the negotiating table; the suffering
had to stop. The Acehnese separatists have dropped their demand
for independence, in favor of autonomy, the key political
breakthrough. However, the Indonesian vice president, Jusuf
Kalla, was also instrumental in the negotiations. His concession
to meet demands for local political parties in Aceh contrasts
with the rancor that caused previous talks to collapse.
-- Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney