In Aceh, the price of loyalty to the unitary state of

In Aceh, the price of loyalty to the unitary state of
Indonesia is not very expensive after all. It is equal to only
the two cows and a small amount of cash given out by Aceh's
governor, Abdullah Puteh, at each rally held to demonstrate the
loyalty of Acehnese to the Republic of Indonesia.

There is nothing extraordinary about bribery in Indonesia. It
has long been a feature of society and will continue to be as it
seems there is nobody who can stop it. But, in Aceh it has taken
on a novel form. It is bribery in exchange for loyalty to the
government of Indonesia. The present governor of Aceh is the man
in charge of organizing this mass purchase of loyalty.

So far, it seems he has done the job well, especially if one's
definition is the number of people who turn up at each loyalty
rally in Aceh. It might be because he has plenty of experience
with such tactics. According to local sources, the same methods
were used to get him in the governorship. It also explains how,
even though his party, Golkar, did not win a majority of votes in
Aceh, he was elected governor (by the local legislature). As a
member of Golkar and an established New Order-ite before that
regime was brought down, he is surely very knowledgeable about
strategies for winning the hearts and minds of people in this
way.

In the latest public meeting in Aceh Besar on Jan. 18, 2004,
the governor generously asked the crowd -- who were not invited,
so much as they were compelled to attend the declaration rally
for the Red and White Youth Movement (GPMP) -- who among them
needed money for modal usaha (a business venture). The lucky ones
selected from among the crowd were awarded two cows and a
pocketful of money. As in many other provinces, it seems Puteh
likes to display Indonesian generosity in public.

As with more conventional forms of bribery, the briber demands
something in return. In Aceh, that is their loyalty to the nation
state of Indonesia, their willingness to condemn GAM (the Free
Aceh Movement) in many public meetings and their willingness to
join one of the new militia gangs designed to oppose the
separatists.

However, if this is the kind of loyalty that Jakarta wants in
Aceh right now, it seems it is easy enough to get. This is
particularly true since the conflict has resulted in extreme
increases of unemployment and poverty. Aceh is becoming one of
the poorest places in Indonesia. The impact of the conflict on
unemployment and poverty rates in Aceh is appalling.

The governor himself has admitted that 40 percent of Aceh's
4.2 million people are now living below the poverty line. For
many ordinary Acehnese, economic life in Aceh is a disaster. The
war has not only killed thousands of people, but has destroyed
many critical sources of income.

However, apparently poverty in Aceh is not a problem for some,
because it has certain advantages. It offers certain solutions.
With the government's closure of Aceh to foreign aid workers, all
economic aid must pass through a single source: A corrupt, local
government and military officials. The governor knows that the
truly desperate poor Acehnese will surrender their identity and
beliefs in exchange for short-term relief from poverty.

Indeed, this is the very point of martial law and the military
operations in Aceh. Poverty and unemployment are a part of the
strategy to create total economic and political control that can
be manipulated to create equally total local dependence on the
government. Such total dependence upon Jakarta, it is reasoned,
should lead to total loyalty.

Invariably, villagers have been forced to attend the loyalty
ceremonies. Now, as well as being compulsory, the parades are
also occasions for a small number of the lucky draw winners to
get aid from the governor and officials. This is seen as a
perfect combination: The military drives the people to the
loyalty ceremonies through fear, and the government leaders offer
a chance for a cash/cow incentive to drive the fear away.

As a result, Aceh is becoming a place where the locals
endlessly celebrate their allegiance to Unitary Republic of
Indonesia. Almost everyday, there are ceremonies to celebrate
Indonesia. The number of people turning up is always
extraordinary; rarely dipping below 10,000. And the governor of
Aceh is becoming almost like a priest at a mass confession.

Everyday, he listens to the Acehnese "sinners" repent for
their lack of faith in Jakarta. Almost everyday, the "priest"
performs ceremonies for people to convert them to the Indonesian
faith. National anthems are sung loudly by Acehnese and the
Merah Putih (Red and White flag) is seen in all directions. The
Acehnese are becoming more Indonesian than the rest of Indonesia.
They even have a Merah Putih identity card.

But is this not all so very superficial? Who cares? Does
Jakarta actually need Aceh for superficial reasons? Jakarta's
leaders would say this kind of "loyalty" helps during elections,
and for other political purposes, but particularly for keeping
the huge map of Indonesia intact. And those things go hand in
hand with Jakarta's need for Aceh's oil, forests and other
valuable natural resources. The corrupt government in Aceh, the
military, and the disgraceful politicians in Jakarta have never
really wanted to know what the Acehnese think and believe deep in
their hearts.

And now, as the conflict intensifies along with the poverty
and misery of the local people, the price of loyalty to Indonesia
is getting even cheaper. While ordinary Acehnese get meager cash
handouts during loyalty parades and ceremonies, the governor and
military are earning Mega-bucks by cutting down the forests,
smuggling in quantities of luxury cars and controlling almost all
business activities under martial law.