Resolving Aceh issue needs realistic stance

Resolving Aceh issue needs realistic stance

By Desra Percaya

LONDON (JP): Since the downfall of the New Order regime, the
threat of disintegration has been hanging over Indonesia. This is
mainly prevalent in the westernmost and easternmost parts of
Indonesia, namely Aceh and Irian Jaya. The problem is on the top
of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's priority list, as reflected
in her first Cabinet meeting on Monday.

Indeed, her coming to power has been accompanied by a great
expectation that the process to find a comprehensive solution to
the issue, especially Aceh, would be intensified in a clear and
coherent manner. However, this will be meaningless if the leaders
of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) prefer violence to achieve their
aspirations of independence.

It is widely understood that the root causes of the conflict
in Aceh are economic imbalance, political injustice, ignorance of
local values, and deprivation of the people. Add to this the
repressive policy of the past government. This situation was
politically exploited by some diehard Acehnese, particularly
members of the GAM separatist group, to demand independence or
separation from the unitary state of Indonesia -- a demand
accompanied by force and terror.

Grievances were not properly addressed, and the past
government responded with force as well. The suffering of the
people hence deepened dramatically.

While the government's security apparatus is intensifying
efforts to restore security and order, the armed elements of GAM
are making every effort to defend their position and the people
are caught in between. The almost daily revelation of killings
and violence has become normal and seems to be merely considered
as the consequence of a conflict situation. What is more worrying
is that this cycle of conflict tends to create a violent
generation, which will prolong the conflict in the years to come.
Thus, the saga of Aceh is still far from a happy resolution.

Despite its shortcomings, the dialog initiated by the
Abdurrahman Wahid government has been praised by many Acehnese
and the international community. Indeed, dialog should, among
other things, provide opportunities to understand respective
underlying concerns and to build trust and confidence towards a
political settlement. Nevertheless, one difficulty in negotiating
with GAM has been to comprehend its negotiating position,
particularly the distinction between its wishes and reality.

The ailing top leadership of GAM has mainly caused this
stumbling block through repeated rhetorical assertions linked to
incidents that goes back centuries, stating that Aceh must be
"decolonized." This stance has failed to be translated into a
clear negotiating position. The fact is that the decolonization
issue in the framework of the United Nations is related and
limited to 16 non-self-governing territories as listed by the
24th Committee of the UN General Assembly -- while Aceh is not on
the list at all.

Worse, the claim of decolonization has been exploited to
spread revulsion against the Javanese as the supposed colonial
power. The recent killings in Central Aceh are evidence of the
powerful and devastating negative impact of combining racial
hatred and opposition against the central government. This
incident reconfirms the fact that GAM resorts to indiscriminate
killings, intimidation and terror. Unfortunately, the
international community has been lacking in attention. Again, it
is innocent civilians that have become victims of the protracted
conflict.

The latest peace talks in Switzerland have indicated that the
negotiations face an impasse. This fact underlines once again
that one of the greatest obstacles has been to bridge the gap
between the demand for independence and the government's offer of
special autonomy. In fact, the main barrier has been the
political dimension. For as long as political differences are not
reconciled, violence will increase. This is particularly true as
the issue of independence remains on the table. As a result, it
will be nearly impossible to eliminate mutual suspicion as well
as to build trust and confidence, let alone security.

GAM leaders must fully understand that, for many years,
efforts to break away from the Republic of Indonesia by any
means, including force, have failed. No country supports GAM's
demand for independence. The rise of President Megawati and the
recent passing of the autonomy law on the Province of Nanggroe
Aceh Darussalam should be seized as an opportunity to resolve
differences by peaceful means.

GAM leaders must be realistic enough to work within the
democratic state of Indonesia. Otherwise, they will remain
prisoners of their own wishful thinking.

The writer works at the International Organizations
Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.