Hopes for lasting peace rise in Aceh

Hopes for lasting peace rise in Aceh

The Straits Times, Asia News Network, Singapore

Hopes for peace in violence-wracked Aceh, Indonesia's north Sumatran province, have been revived with a new ceasefire deal in the making. The Indonesian government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement are to sign a pact on Dec. 9 to end the 26-year conflict that has claimed some 10,000 lives, mostly civilians. Making peace with the Acehnese rebels will be a major triumph for President Megawati Soekarnoputri. But much work remains to be done. A lot hinges on the good faith of the two warring parties. To achieve lasting peace, they must set aside the anger and distrust that have bedeviled their relations. This is asking a lot from the military hardliners and the alienated Acehnese, but there is no other way to break the impasse.

The latest breakthrough, mediated by the Geneva-based Henry Dunant Centre, will see for the first time international peace monitors in Aceh. There will be fresh provincial elections "to ensure the broadest participation of all elements of Acehnese society". The real test will come when the nuts and bolts of the peace pact are put in place. Chief Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the rebels will have to lay down their weapons. How and when this can be done are tricky issues that have to be resolved. So too the demarcation of "peace zones" and the role of the police and military in Aceh. As Yudhoyono said, "the problem now is the problem of trust". Already, discordant voices are heard from the rebel camp, that no deal has yet been struck. Some of the separatist leaders are also reluctant to surrender their arms. The rebels also want the government to pull out its troops from Aceh. Another key element in the peace deal is the formation of a joint security committee to investigate ceasefire violations. There will be 25 monitoring teams of six people, with equal representation from the rebel movement, the government and the Henry Dunant Centre. How well they can work together is the first crucial step in overcoming the mutual suspicions between the government and the Acehnese. In the past, ceasefire pacts had collapsed because of frequent violations by both sides. There was no neutral third party to supervise their implementation. Now there is.

For Jakarta, the import of the peace deal is clear. The four million Acehnese will have greater autonomy, not independence. This is non-negotiable. In other words, the rebels must abandon their 26-year-old quest for statehood. Even though Jakarta has totally ruled out Acehnese independence, some rebel commanders are still insisting that this is their ultimate goal. Clearly, this is not on. Nor can Jakarta ever hope to end the bloody conflict by military means. The only way to resolve the problem is a political settlement which takes into account Acehnese demands for justice and compensation. But first, Jakarta has to win over the hearts and minds of the Acehnese. This, ultimately, is what the peace deal is about. Previous ceasefire pacts in Aceh were not worth the paper they were written on because the violence went on unchecked even before the ink was dry. Hopefully, the new peace pact will be different. The Acehnese rebellion is a festering sore in the Indonesian body politic. The time for healing has come. There are hardliners on both sides of the divide who will not compromise. This is not going to end the war. Both sides will need goodwill and faith in each other to end three decades of hostilities.