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.