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