How Aceh weathers the worst for a better future

Javier Solana, The Straits Times, Asia News Network/Singapore

Late last year, the Indonesian province of Aceh bore the brunt of an Indian Ocean tsunami that killed nearly 150,000 people, left half a million homeless and destroyed livelihoods and infrastructure.

The world responded with unprecedented generosity to help with the relief effort, but those of us who work for the European Union did not want to leave it at that -- we wanted to see something good come out of the disaster.

Very discreetly, talks began between the government of Indonesia and rebel fighters of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The two sides had been locked in violent conflict for 30 years. After the tsunami, everyone agreed that Aceh deserved a different future.

With the help of former Finnish president Marti Ahtisaari, the talks led to a landmark Memorandum of Understanding in mid- August.

The Aceh rebel fighters agreed to give up their armed struggle for independence and to demobilize. In exchange, the Indonesian government offered far-reaching autonomy for Aceh and an amnesty for the GAM fighters. The agreement also provided for the establishment of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM).

We in the EU wanted to give the peace agreement all the support we could. It was a chance to demonstrate, in a tangible way, that the EU was committed to promoting global peace, security and justice.

We were also convinced this mission would have greater success if carried out in close cooperation with our Asian partners. Five Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- agreed to take part.

Since a previous agreement between the government and the rebels had foundered on the question of implementation, everyone knew that the presence of an objective team of monitors would be critical. So, at the invitation of the Indonesian government, and with the full support of the rebel fighters, the EU and the five ASEAN countries formed the AMM.

This fruitful regional cooperation has already proved a success and might be a model for future crisis-management operations.

It is not very often that we can say that a peace agreement is being implemented ahead of schedule, and yet that is precisely what is happening in Aceh today.

Since mid-September, in what have been emotional scenes, rebel fighters have been handing in a quarter of their declared weapons to international monitors.

At the same time, about 1,300 Indonesian police and 6,500 troops have been withdrawn from the province. Where violence and distrust reigned, politics and hope are returning. It is exactly what the people of Aceh and the rest of Indonesia want and deserve.

I am delighted that the EU, together with its ASEAN partners, is playing an important supporting role in all this. The AMM oversees the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding that guides the peace process.

In particular, it supervises and assists with the demobilization of GAM fighters and the decommissioning and destruction of its weapons; and it monitors the relocation of Indonesian army and police troops and the re-integration into society of GAM members. The AMM also monitors and assists in the field of human rights

This is a unique operation in many respects: It is the first EU operation in Asia and the first time the union has worked this way with ASEAN nations. From the topmost level to that of field inspections, this really is a joint EU-ASEAN effort.

The mission effectively combines the ASEAN knowledge about the region, religion and culture with the EU's experience of crisis- management operations.

It is worth stressing that this combined EU-ASEAN format was the only formula that was acceptable to both parties. Moreover, no international mission has ever been deployed more quickly. It proves that when everyone is focused, innovative forms of international partnership can achieve impressive results.

The first phase of decommissioning and demobilization has gone smoother, and faster, than many expected. The second phase is taking place as we speak and two more phases are planned for next month and December.

It is vital to keep up this good momentum and advance with the wider political process so that peace in Aceh can be entrenched. To do so, both parties must abide by their commitments. But we are ready to play a facilitating role. Twice a week, the head of the Aceh mission, Pieter Feith, meets a top GAM official and an Indonesian government minister to iron out differences and take the peace process forward.

I am pleased that the EU has taken up this challenge. The Aceh mission gives substance to our oft-stated aim of being a strategic partner for Asia and a steadfast promoter of peace.

It also shows the great potential of regional cooperation. The situation in Aceh suggests that humanity is resilient and that, even after a real catastrophe, a society can come together and forge a more hopeful future.

The writer is the European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.