The Aceh peace accord: Lasting or provisional?

Imanuddin Razak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Aceh peace accord signed in the Finnish capital of Helsinki on Aug. 15, 2005 was indeed a gift and sweet prelude for the Indonesian people and government prior to celebrating the country's 60th anniversary of independence.

The historical event marked a new era for the Indonesian people, especially the Acehnese, as it ended the lengthy political instability and the three-decade-long campaign by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to establish an independent state, separated from Indonesia.

The event also provided a good example that peaceful diplomatic measures can be used to resolve such a prolonged and complex separatist problem rather than engaging in military operations to crush the movement.

Such an approach could have been successful in settling the "similar separatist movement" in the former Indonesian province of East Timor and can also be applied in another troubled province, Papua.

So tremendous is the achievement that the only remaining question is whether a lasting peace can be maintained in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, known as one of the most serious trouble spots worldwide.

The question is not easy to answer as a lasting peace will require total commitment by both sides -- GAM and the Indonesian government, including the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the police -- to complying with all points agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on Monday.

And, based on legal practice here, the government should issue a regulation, which is higher in the legal hierarchy than an MOU, in order to incorporate the peace accord into national law.

Extra caution will need to be exercised during the political transition as the previous system and practices may collide with the new system. It is good that the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) is already present in the country's westernmost province to observe the implementation of the peace agreement.

However, doubts are increasing as to the sustainability of the agreement as the Joint Mission will not be in Aceh forever. They will only be there for a one year. It is not inconceivable that once the European Union-ASEAN monitoring team leaves Aceh, insecurity and disorder will return to the province.

Past experience also shows that previous peace agreements collapsed within a very short period of time, with the last agreement in 2003 collapsing just five months after it was signed with GAM and the government blaming each other for violations of the agreement.

Such doubts arise not only because of the critical transitional period, but also because so many interests are involved and could play influential roles in future decision- and policy-making processes in the province.

It has become an open secret that most government elements in the province have their own interests and businesses that may prevent the successful implementation of the Aug. 15 agreement.

The provision of "protection" to both legal and illegal businesses by military and police units, the seemingly untouchable marijuana fields in some parts of Aceh and increasing gambling are only some examples of how the problems in the province are interrelated.

On the ground, the transitional period in Aceh will not be free from possible tension and conflict, either. The return of former GAM officers and members to normal life, mingling with other Acehnese, may not be as smooth as it is written on paper.

It will not be easy for those Acehnese whose relatives were killed by whatever side to forgive and forget. Only an intense public information campaign by GAM and the local government promoting the opening of a new page in Aceh's history will help accelerate the reconciliation process in the province.

Another important aspect that the central and local government should bear in mind is that they must not only focus only on the reconciliation process involving former GAM members and activists, while neglecting the interests and aspirations of those Acehnese who remained loyal to Indonesia. The process will only create new problems if it alienates pro-Jakarta Acehnese.

A new era for Aceh is now beginning. The big challenge is whether we -- former GAM members, the Acehnese and Indonesians in general -- can use the momentum to rebuild Aceh after the devastating tsunami and conflicts of the past.