The Aceh peace accord: Lasting or provisional?

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.