Regional impact of the war in Aceh

Regional impact of the war in Aceh

Sin Chew Daily, Asia News Network, Selangor, Malaysia

Today's mass media have shrunk the world and distorted the
geographical distances between places, such that anything that
happens oceans away can appear right before our eyes at the split
of a second. Nevertheless, certain events that happen not that
far away may seem so remote to a lot of us.

For instance, although the Iraq war occurred thousands of
miles away, modern media have managed to collapse the distance
between the war front and TV audience in Malaysia.

On the other hand, another war that is raging just across the
Straits of Malaka -- Indonesia's military crackdown on Aceh
rebels, does not seem to command similar amount of attention over
here.

Perhaps the war in Aceh is too monotonous and most people are
not even aware who the lead players are. Or they simply do not
know about the whole story at all, as the media have only touched
on the conflict very lightly.

Nevertheless, if we try not to look at the Aceh issue from the
entertainment point of view, the war fought in that troubled
region is in practicality a significant one.

The war in Aceh is not only one against the separatist
movement, it also entails the sensitive ethnic and religious
issues. If the battle were to go on for a prolonged period of
time, not only will it impact on the political scenario of the
massive archipelagic republic, it will also have a serious
bearing on the geopolitical picture of the entire Southeast Asia.

In the first place, a lot of Acehnese have never considered
themselves as part of Indonesia. Indonesia's mainstream politics
is based in Java, and under the rule of former president
Soeharto, Indonesia began to implement by force centralized
administration, and sidelined non-Javanese peoples in that
country. In this respect, the Chinese and Acehnese have suffered
almost identical fate.

The petroleum and natural gas production in Aceh constitutes
over 30 percent of national total. However, 95 percent of the
revenue obtained from petroleum resources have to go to the
central government in Jakarta. This has accentuated the problem
of poverty in the province, as well as the hostility of the
people towards the regime in Jakarta, planting the root for
separatist movement.

In the 1960s, Acehnese representatives wanted to discuss ways
to develop the province's economy jointly with Jakarta and to
redistribute the economic resources. However, their efforts were
thwarted by Jakarta's outright rejection. Their leader Hasan di
Tiro founded the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, or
GAM) and hence the armed struggle with the Indonesian government.

Additionally, Aceh is steeped in Islamic history. The Islamic
practices there are more orthodox and express, as opposed to the
Islam in Java which has been mingled with the Brahmin faith.

Islamic scholars in Aceh began direct interactions with the
religious authorities on the Saudi peninsula, the cradle of
Islamic civilization, at a very much earlier date. Consequently,
Aceh enjoyed pretty high honors in the Islamic world. An Islamic
kingdom was established there as early as the 9th century A.D.

Besides, Aceh also boasts a long independence history. During
the heyday of the Acehnese kingdom in the 17th century, it not
only ruled over the whole of Sumatra, but also took control of
the Straits of Melaka as well as parts of the Malay peninsula.
Owing to these historical backgrounds, Acehnese have a very
strong inclination towards its own cultural and political rights
as well as independence. From the Dutch colonization to the
Japanese occupation to an independent Indonesia, the calls for
Aceh's independence have never been quelled to the least.

However, evaluating from the aspects of modern politics as
well as political reality, such backgrounds cannot completely
verify the independence of Aceh.

In practice, independence for Aceh is almost next to
impossible. As such, GAM leaders have laid their hopes on the
disintegration of the central government in Jakarta, so that
Indonesia is split into several independent states. However,
judging from the situation today, this can only be a political
fable that has no chance of realization.

As a compromise, Aceh separatists could have sought to become
an autonomous region and claim from Jakarta a more respectable
economic, religious as well as political status.

Such a resolution did emerge during the presidency of
Abdurrahman Wahid, but the Java-centric political ideology of his
successor Megawati Soekarnoputri, augmented by the intervention
of military forces, has rendered Aceh autonomy an unrealized
dream.

It is outright easy for the Indonesian military to crush the
Aceh rebels. But military victory alone will not resolve the Aceh
problems in the long run. Political efforts and ethnic
integration are still required for long-term results.

From Malaysia's point of view, if the battle in Aceh lasts too
long, refugees from the province are bound to tip the region's
stability. Moreover, the conflict will also likely expand the
market for religious extremism.

Having these in mind, it is best that ASEAN should come in and
mediate in a bid to map out a peaceful resolution for Aceh.