Prayers, serenity mark first day of peace in Aceh

Prayers, serenity mark first day of peace in Aceh

Ibnu Mat Noor and Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh

With only one "minor skirmish", and many more prayers across the
war-torn province, Aceh joyfully marked the first day after the
signing of cessation of hostilities agreement between the Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) and Jakarta.

There was only one clash on Tuesday which claimed one GAM
fighter in Bireuen district according to an AFP report, but the
majority of Acehnese went to mosques for thanksgiving prayers to
share the joy with relatives and friends.

Across Banda Aceh people were seen talking about the good news
and congratulating each other on the new hope for peace following
the signing.

Smiling faces from all walks of life enlivened the streets of
the province, as if they were celebrating the Muslim holiday Idul
Fitri all over again.

"I woke up and heard the news that the peace accord was signed
and there would be prayers at Lhokseumawe. So I took the bus to
attend the prayer," Mustafa from Bireuen regency told The Jakarta
Post on Tuesday with a smile on his face.

He said that he was blessed to see the day where government
and GAM really shared a commitment to return peace to Aceh after
decades of fighting.

A farmer, Geusyik Ayub, from Pidie regency warmly welcomed the
news and hoped that the signing would bring back security for him
to harvest his land.

"I know nothing about politics, I just hope that with the
signing we can go back to plant our land in safety," Geusyik
said.

Similar views were also expressed by public transportation
drivers. "We hope the deal will end all kinds of extortion
against us from both GAM and TNI," Usman, one of the drivers,
said.

GAM and Jakarta signed a cessation of hostilities agreement on
Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, symbolizing the good intentions
from both sides for Acehnese welfare.

In the deal, both sides agreed to end all violence immediately
and maintain peace in Aceh.

A lecturer from Syah Kuala University, Dahlan, said law
enforcement and humanitarian aid for poor people in Aceh should
top the reconstruction agenda.

"If the people have prosperity and justice, the whole conflict
should stop," Dahlan said.

The signing also brings other benefits for Aceh as 23
countries including Japan, the United States, Australia and
Canada have stated their readiness to provide a trust fund for
post-war reconstruction in the province.

The trust fund would be an addition of around Rp 6 trillion
(US$660million) from the state budget as the special autonomy is
supposed to guarantee that 70 percent of revenue from oil and gas
stays in Aceh.

Civil Society Task force Chief Tengku Imam Suja said that the
fund will crank up the economic engine and rehabilitate social
infrastructure across the province.

He noted that because of the prolonged conflict, almost 60
percent of Acehnese now live below the poverty line, despite it
having some of the richest oil and gas reserves in the world
relative to its size.

"Poverty is always a great threat to peace. It is easy to
provoke people that live below the poverty line," Imam said.

Director of the Foundation for Human Rights (YP-HAM) Saifuddin
Bantasyam said that the reconstruction should cover several
priorities, including emergency aid for refugees.

He further cited that the reconstruction should provide job
opportunities, rehabilitation of abandoned farming areas and
almost 10,000 wrecked homes because of the war.