Stop the bloodshed in Aceh
Stop the bloodshed in Aceh
The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo
Peace talks between the Indonesian government and separatist
rebels from Aceh province held in Tokyo broke off Sunday with no
agreement. Within hours, Indonesia's President Megawati
Soekarnoputri declared effective martial law in Aceh and ordered
an army assault on the Free Aceh Movement, the pro-independence
rebel group, known locally as GAM. Strife in Aceh, the resource-
rich region of northern Sumatra, began a quarter-century ago.
More than 10,000 people have died in fierce fighting between GAM,
which seeks independence, and Indonesia's army, which intends to
suppress the rebellion.
If the military wages a broad new campaign to wipe out the
rebels, GAM will surely respond with guerrilla warfare that would
drag the region back into brutal violence and bloodshed. This is
the unsettling prospect.
The ceasefire collapsed after just five months.
In December, the Indonesian government and GAM agreed to a
ceasefire, elections in 2004, and creation of an autonomous
government in the region. The Henry Dunant Center, a Swiss peace
movement, mediated the treaty. Thailand and the Philippines
served as truce observers, and Japan, the United States and the
World Bank supported the effort. It was the most comprehensive
peace accord ever concluded by the two sides.
The agreement dissolved so easily because both sides had their
own interpretations of vague elements, distorting their intended
meaning.
The government reneged on its promise to reduce the troop
presence in Aceh, giving GAM a reason for refusing to disarm. GAM
intensified its campaign for independence, even though it had
accepted the proposed autonomous government of the region as part
of Indonesia. All these actions are based on deep-seated
distrust.
Both sides bear the blame for the failure of the talks. But
the government must take more of the responsibility, considering
the tragic history of Aceh's people.
Since the end of World War II, successive governments in
Indonesia have used force to try to subdue Aceh and plundered its
oil and natural gas, even though the region was vital to the
battle for independence from the Netherlands. Indonesia's move
toward democracy five years ago has brought no significant
progress toward healing the wounds of years of bloody clashes.
Indonesia is a multicultural, multiracial nation of many
religions and languages. It is not hard to understand why the
Megawati government was so quick to crack down on any separatist
movement. But history shows this problem cannot be solved solely
by military force.
GAM also needs to back away from insisting it will never stop
its pursuit for independence, no matter how long it takes. No
nation in the world would support a revival of the Aceh Kingdom.
Most people in the region prefer a peaceful and quiet life above
all.
Japan has a keen interest in achieving peace in Aceh. Most of
the natural gas from the region is shipped to Japan. It is also
geographically near the primary shipping lanes for oil tankers
that ply the route between Japan and the Middle East. Turmoil in
Indonesia could present a serious threat to peace and stability
in the entire Southeast Asia.
All this has prompted a reluctant Japanese government to be
involved in the peace process after years of treating the clash
as an Indonesian internal matter and watching quietly from the
sidelines.
Although the peace negotiations in Tokyo failed, Japan holds
some leverage with Indonesia as its largest aid donor. The
government should press Indonesia and other concerned nations to
try harder to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table
as soon as possible.