Peace comes to Aceh
Peace comes to Aceh
With mixed feelings of cautious expectation and skeptical
anxiety, it is a great relief to learn that the Indonesian
government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have finally signed a
peace agreement that could end the decades-long secessionist
conflict in that troubled province.
The nine-article agreement culminates almost three years of
negotiations initiated during the tenure of former president
Abdurrahman Wahid in January 2000 and facilitated by the Geneva-
based Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
History will tell whether this seemingly momentous step will
eventually become a critical benchmark in the process of
democratization, not only in Aceh but in the entire country as
well. The agreement itself carries a lot of weight, not only
because of the courageous commitment expressed by both parties
after years of hostile foot-dragging, but also because of the
significant international involvement in the process.
Yet the agreement itself does not guarantee a lasting peace in
Aceh, a prerequisite for the process of democratization and the
fostering of prosperity for the people of Aceh. As Ambassador S.
Wiryono, the top Indonesian government negotiator, remarked: "We
still have a long way to go."
The next seven months is a critical period that must be
traversed before any efforts toward democratization and
socioeconomic rebuilding in Aceh can be undertaken. This first
stage includes a two-month grace period during which both sides
will demonstrate their commitment to peace by not increasing
military strength and by relocating troops to defensive
positions.
It also stipulates that the mandate and mission of the
notorious police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) have to be reformulated
to conform to regular police activities, and as such will no
longer initiate offensive actions against members of GAM.
Only after both parties have proven their commitment during
this two-month grace period to cease hostilities and all acts of
violence, will the process of disarming GAM as well as the phased
relocation of Indonesian Military (TNI) forces and their
revamping from a strike force to a defensive force take place
within the ensuing five months.
Two key elements will become very important during this first
stage. The first is the role of the Joint Security Committee
(JSC), which was established in 2000 for a humanitarian pause
agreement but later deactivated due to unresolved disagreements
over various issues with the security forces in Aceh, and will
now be reactivated as soon as possible.
First, due to the expanded functions of this Joint Security
Committee, including for the implementation of the first stage of
this cessation of hostilities, it is of the utmost importance to
choose the right representatives for the job and reactivate the
JSC as soon as possible.
Second, the agreement emphasizes the right of civil society to
exercise their democratic rights without hindrance. The
stipulation that the JSC will publish weekly reports on the
security situation in Aceh, and that communication with the
public will be prioritized, especially through the print and
electronic media, hopefully will help urge the public, civil
society, to express itself.
The majority of the Acehnese people, however, have become used
to keeping things to themselves after being intimidated,
harassed, terrorized, threatened, illegally arrested, arbitrarily
killed and what not over the last three decades.
We cannot take for granted that this agreement will
immediately change their attitude and behavior. There have to be
extra efforts from both the government and its security
apparatus, as well as GAM, to regain the people's trust. Both
parties have to step beyond this agreement to prove that they are
committed to the betterment of the Acehnese, who have been
sidestepped and neglected by both, particularly over the last
four years.
The extent to which both the Joint Security Committee and
civil society perform their respective roles during the next
seven months will determine the second stage of this peace
agreement. The all-inclusive dialog toward a democratic election
in Aceh, scheduled for 2004, the long overdue reconstruction of
the province and socioeconomic rehabilitation will remain an
elusive dream if the first stage of the peace agreement fails.
We should never forget that GAM, proclaimed in 1976, is only
one part of the multifaceted problem in Aceh. In fact, it is not
even the most important part. The restiveness of the province
dates back long before the existence of GAM.
Since the early 1950s, there has been a common feeling of
betrayal by the Republic of Indonesia after all that the people
of Aceh contributed to the nation's independence and the ensuing
years of development.
In a way, many other parts of the country had similar
experiences during the first 50 years of the Republic. The coming
seven months of the Aceh peace process can become a historical
benchmark for the development of civil society in Indonesia,
including the future notion of the unitary state.