The Acehnese have spoken

When the Acehnese were asked last week whether they would approve of the imposition of a state of civil emergency or martial law in their province, they responded with a resounding No. The latest to voice his rejection was Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh, who last weekend joined forces with the provincial legislative council, clerics and non-governmental organizations. Unanimously they said that the conflict resolution should be entrusted to the provincial administration.

In opting for a peaceful solution, the Acehnese are clearly at odds with the government, which has of late openly illustrated its preference for a military solution to resolve the Aceh problem. The government's hardening position has been demonstrated by President Megawati Soekarnoputri who two weeks ago instructed Aceh Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf to crush the secessionist movement in Aceh in order to protect the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.

Last week the government sent a delegation led by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to assess the situation in Aceh.

Prior to his departure to Aceh, Susilo disclosed the government's stance and said the government had lost almost all hope of achieving a peaceful solution to the Aceh problem as violence continued to plague the province.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, who later joined Susilo's team, also revealed the government's displeasure with the Aceh situation by slamming the local Aceh administration for its sluggish action in solving the problem. He threatened that the civilian leaders' failure would ultimately lead to the imposition of a state of emergency in Aceh.

Separately, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu said last week that the current situation in Aceh, where many civilians have been killed, warranted the imposition of a state of emergency.

The latest to join in the chorus is Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf, who has requested 8,000 reinforcements to bring peace to Aceh. He reasoned that since the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) is conducting guerrilla warfare, theoretically he needs 10 soldiers to counter each GAM combatant. Since he has only 22,000 troops, while GAM has some 3,000 active combatants with 1,400 weapons, the 8,000 reinforcements would bring the number of troops to 30,000 to fight GAM.

The government has yet to respond to the Acehnese opposition to the imposition of martial law in their province, but there is every indication that the government may, once again, turn a deaf ear to the demands of the Acehnese.

One may understand why in the past the authoritarian regime of president Soeharto, himself a general, opted for military means to crush the rebellious Acehnese who started fighting for independence in the mid-1970s. To a certain extent one can also understand why many Acehnese are rebellious after all the injustices they suffered for decades under the Soeharto regime.

But we cannot understand why President Megawati appears to be leaning toward a hard-line approach to resolve the Aceh problem. True, she has a strong nationalist sentiment and is committed to protecting the unitary state of Indonesia. But in the past she has displayed empathy toward the Acehnese and even promised to act as a Cut Nyak (mother) to the suffering Acehnese.

The question is, is there pressure for Megawati to take a hard-line approach, because of late she has shown more leniency toward the military? Or has the military gained a stronger position in the national political theater?

One should also question the wisdom of the military option. The imposition of either a state of civil emergency or martial law is along the same lines as the 1980s declaration of a military operational zone in Aceh, under which the people suffered injustices and excessive human rights violations by the military, leaving life-long scars among the four million Acehnese.

In other words, the imposition of martial law in Aceh would not only deepen the wounds, but would inflict new wounds and further disillusion the Acehnese. In the end people would suspect that there were other reasons behind the government's plan. One must realize that a prolonged conflict would also bring benefit and personal gains, especially to the military, with the possibility of speedier promotion for the rank and file as a bonus.

Anyway, the Acehnese have spoken. They have opted to find a peaceful solution to resolve the Aceh problem, and thus negotiation is the agenda of tomorrows. Of course the military could impose martial law by stealth, but by doing so it would be revealing its true colors.

Therefore, we must respect the Acehnese decision regardless of the consequences. And there is no other option except to support the peace effort.