Peace in Aceh at last?
Peace in Aceh at last?
It is part of the tragedy that is Aceh that even at a time
when a glimmer of hope appears to be in sight, the promise of
peace must be greeted with caution.
Representatives of the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) were reported on Wednesday to have reached an
agreement to hold a month-long moratorium on violence in the
northernmost Indonesian province.
The provisional agreement, which was reached in Switzerland on
Thursday night after four days of intensive negotiations,
stipulates among other things that during the month-long truce,
both sides agree to substantially revise the security
arrangements of the humanitarian pause to make them more
effective.
Jakarta has stated it will not extend the humanitarian pause,
which is in essence a truce between the Indonesian government and
GAM which was signed by both sides earlier in May last year. The
pause expires on Monday.
The statement, which was issued by Minister of Defense Mahfud
MD in Jakarta recently, has been viewed by some observers in
Indonesia as a sign of a hardening of the government's stance on
the issue and has raised fears of more bloodshed in the strife-
torn province.
Jakarta, it must be noted, remains adamant that whatever the
solution for Aceh may be, it must be in the framework of Aceh
remaining a part of the unitary Republic of Indonesia.
Thus, whatever its shortcomings, the provisional agreement
that was signed in Switzerland on Tuesday night is widely seen as
a step toward a peaceful solution of the decades-long Aceh
conflict.
After all, even though the humanitarian pause itself was not
extended, the moratorium provides sufficient leeway for
negotiators on both sides to resume talks.
According to the statement, both parties intend to meet in
February 2001 in exploratory talks, "to discuss and agree upon
new security arrangements as well as the process for continued
political dialog".
The statement further said the two parties succeeded in making
"significant progress" and developed a detailed agenda for future
talks, including "substantive elements relating to security
arrangements, democratic consultation, humanitarian law and human
rights, and social-economic development."
Abdullah Zaini, GAM's chief representative in the talks,
described the moratorium as an attempt to open political
negotiations, saying that "we have agreed, both sides, to extend
this humanitarian pause, in a way, to launch exploratory talks
for political issues."
In Jakarta, minister Mahfud said the statement says that GAM
will "transform its activities from a physical to a political
struggle".
Mahfud, however, warned that if the separatists do anything
that is against the accord, "then we will break the agreement".
Thus it seems that as far as Jakarta is concerned, little has
changed. Whatever may come, Aceh must remain a part of Indonesia.
A free and independent Aceh is out of the question.
The big question is whether the independence movement in Aceh
-- not necessarily all members of GAM -- are willing to reduce
their demands to accommodate Jakarta's wishes.
Too many lives have already been lost and too many Acehnese
have suffered from the decades of violence that has been the lot
of Aceh.
It may of course be that the Acehnese will prove themselves to
be capable and willing to exert the necessary restraint to adjust
their demands to the political realities present.
In that case, it will be up to Jakarta to reestablish the
climate of goodwill toward Jakarta that once upon a time existed
among the Acehnese.
In the beginning, as experts tell us, the conflict was not
about independence but about plain and simple justice, both on
the economic and political plains.
For the moment, let us just hope that both Jakarta and GAM
will prove themselves capable this time to suit the action to the
words and put an end to the violence which has caused so much
suffering among the people for so long.