Mega's planned visit to Aceh

Mega's planned visit to Aceh

It seems inevitable that Indonesian observers would question
whether it is necessary for President Megawati to personally
visit the province of Aceh. Only recently a high-powered
government mission of 10 Cabinet ministers went to the province
to find out what the people there really want.

As we all know, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is demanding
outright independence from Indonesia. But Jakarta can only grant
the province special autonomy within the republic of Indonesia.
GAM leaders are insisting that police and Army troops stationed
in the province to maintain security, law and order, be withdrawn
first before any dialog can be started. Such a precondition is
unacceptable to the central government, which fears that
withdrawal of security troops would allow GAM extremists to
terrorize the neutral population.

Meanwhile, clashes between troops and GAM elements resulting
in fatalities continue to take place. Vice President Hamzah Haz's
visit should have been enough to show Jakarta's goodwill. The GAM
commander has told a national television interviewer bluntly that
he does not see any usefulness in Megawati visiting Aceh and
starting a dialog with leaders of the rebel movement so long as
there are troops in the province.

These views seem very far apart from each other and any
compromise looks impossible to achieve. If the principle of
majority rule is to be applied, it should first be known what
percentage wants to stay within the republic and what percentage
strives for an independent Aceh state. This can be brought about
through a referendum with international supervision, an idea
already rejected by the previous administration.

Aceh is too precious to be given up like the former province
of East Timor. Both parties should in theory be satisfied with
the new arrangement of greater regional autonomy where revenue
from the province can be shared under a fair deal.

So rightly or wrongly, there are some analysts who do not see
the urgency for Megawati to personally visit the troubled
province at the moment where hostile and armed GAM elements are
difficult to control in sowing terror and unrest. There is
nothing that the President does not already know from the visit
of her Cabinet ministers and from the pro-Jakarta governor or
from the police or the military reports.

Originally Megawati was to visit Aceh for a so-called fruitful
dialog with GAM leaders on Sept. 2, 2001. But for the plan was
suddenly postponed. This seem to be a fortunate development, at
least, for the time being.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta