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.