Government lacks initiative in approach to Aceh problem

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a regulation on Thursday to extend the state of civil emergency in Aceh for another six months. Criticism loomed even before the decision was taken, with many questioning the new government's commitment to a more comprehensive solution to the long-standing problems in the natural resource-rich province. Syah Kuala University sociologist and Acehnese rights activist Humam Hamid gives his assessment of the government's approach to the matter in an interview with The Jakarta Post's Nani Afrida.

Question: What are your comments on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision to extend the state of civil emergency in Aceh?

Answer: The new government is only repeating the previous administration's reason for extending the emergency, that is, solely to maintain a "conducive" situation in Aceh, whereas we do not know what "conducive" actually means.

Can you elaborate further?

The government should have informed the public about the latest developments in the ongoing integrated operation in Aceh, besides just the restoration of security. We have not been informed about the overall situation at the present time -- whether it is improving or worsening. Suddenly, we hear about the extension of the state of civil emergency, for which the government claims to have the support of the legislature and Acehnese.

Do you agree with the extension?

I am not in the position to agree or disagree. But in my opinion, the extension offers nothing new, except Susilo's comments that there will be "qualified integrated operations", which, of course, raises the question about how "integrated" and "qualified" the current operations are.

Are you saying that the new government has made an abrupt decision?

I think the government was not prepared to make such a decision. This can be seen from Susilo's speech, in which he said the government would continue the existing operations and then formulate a new, comprehensive framework for resolving Aceh issues.

So, you are saying that the government does not have an overall concept to support the extension of the state of emergency?

Exactly. This is a new government, not Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration, but is there anything new in the decision? It's crystal clear that the new government is not well prepared. My biggest concern is this is simply a state of civil emergency part II -- basically the same as the one under the previous government did.

In your opinion, what should the new government have done?

Frankly speaking, if we want to end the rebellion we have to win the people's hearts and minds. Aside from the operation to restore security, we have four other operations to help boost economic recovery, provide humanitarian assistance, strengthen the administration and enforce the law. But, the military operation has always been prioritized and the rest neglected.

Meanwhile, the worst thing that is happening in Aceh is the corruption.

Do you think the first six months of the state of civil emergency were quite successful?

There are a lot of achievements in the first period. Indeed the security authorities managed to seize 600 firearms, but can we call it a success? Maybe in terms of security, but what about the other operations?

Why do you say that?

The tangible things are the economic climate and law enforcement. The fight against corruption in Aceh is not the same as the military operation to crush the rebellion. Meanwhile, more than 50 percent of the Acehnese are poor, and most of them live in the rebellion-belt areas.

In 2003, some 30 percent of the population lived under the poverty line, which means that there has since been an increase in the number of poor people. But the issue has never been addressed.

Should the focus of the emergency be to reduce the number of the poor, the government has failed to explain the framework and its action plan for administering the civil emergency.

Poverty is a very complicated and dangerous issue, worse than rebellion.

Is it possible that a lack of confidence has discouraged the government from lifting the emergency?

I am concerned that the government has never made a comprehensive assessment before reaching its decision. They should have explained to the public that these integrated operations are "the road to an end" or "the road to achieving" a civilian administration.

What about the number of security personnel in the field?

There is no problem with that, as the number of security personnel will not affect the state of emergency.

Do you foresee any psychological impact of the extension of the civil emergency on the people?

It is difficult to explain if we look at the issue only from the security point of view. People would say that the presence of the troops has allowed people to go out at night again in Aceh as they provide security. But, this could also have taken place without a state of civil emergency. The emergency is useful only for speeding up the decision-making process as regards security issues.

What do you think the new government should do for Aceh?

The government should put forward a comprehensive plan on Aceh -- one that would make a difference compared to that of the previous government. The plan should include clear measures for bringing about a fully civilian administration and the scenario for doing so. It is impossible to do something without clear objectives.