The process of building democracy after peace is restored in Aceh
The process of building democracy after peace is restored in Aceh
Aguswandi, London
A democratic society is the opposite of an armed society. In a
militarized society, democracy cannot exist because, instead of
utilizing the democratic process, weapons are the tools of
political control and expression. The first step toward building
democracy is the destruction of arms. The beginning of the
democratic process is the end of armed groups.
The preamble to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between
the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and Jakarta states both sides are
committed to creating conditions for the establishment of a
government for the Acehnese people through a democratic process.
So building democracy in Aceh is one of the main goals that the
two sides want to achieve through the MOU. GAM's leaders have
repeatedly called for democracy in their speeches and the
government has also pledged its commitment to this.
To build democracy in Aceh, a non-violent situation is vital.
Dissenting voices in Aceh should not be seen as a problem, as
they should be able to participate in a democratic political
system. Allowing any parties using democratic mechanisms to
promote their political argument is the only way of ensuring that
guns stay out of politics.
It is a similar scenario in some other conflict zones, like
Palestine, Northern Ireland and Quebec. When the Good Friday
agreement was signed in Belfast, it was not the end to the
difficulties in Northern Ireland, but the conflict was
transformed into a new political phase.
As Aceh shifts to non-violent politics the establishment of
political parties should be a natural manifestation of this. In
Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein acts as a vehicle for Irish
republicans to participate in democratic politics. The path to
peace in Ireland has had its problems in recent years, but it is
unlikely that it would have survived without the focus on
political organizations of those giving up armed conflict, which
has been encouraged by the likes of Sinn Fein.
In Aceh, GAM or others should consider setting up political
parties that can compete with national-based parties. Those
committed to a non-violent democratic process should be free to
express their political beliefs. The alternative is that they
would feel frustrated, voiceless and powerless; emotions which,
if unaddressed, can become a true threat to peace and democracy.
The decommissioning of GAM is a necessary condition for the
establishment of democracy in Aceh. In the MOU, GAM will be
decommissioned in four stages. There will be the establishment of
posts where former GAM members can hand in their weapons,
followed by the reintegration of them into society. There are
clear steps for this to be carried out. If GAM uses its weapons
after the agreement it will be in violation of the MOU.
However, the question of many who want to see democracy
flourish in Aceh is about the demilitarization of Aceh as a
whole, including the demilitarization of Aceh by the Indonesian
armed forces. Complete withdrawal is not on the cards, the MOU
itself stipulates only a reduction of certain military personnel,
but the imperative here is the withdrawal of units that were
deployed with a destructive intent, to seek out and defeat an
enemy.
If we are serious about peace here, there should be not
feeling of enmity. There is no enemy among us anymore. The
problem in Aceh is that during the conflict it became a heavily
militarized zone/area. As the conflict escalated, beside GAM's
build-up military strategy, many more Indonesian troops were
stationed there. At the highest level the decision to re-
establish KODAM Iskandar Muda in Aceh by the central government
was critical to the massive military buildup.
In addition, troops who were deployed from other provinces,
who arrived with the intention of killing enemies -- men with
mottoes like "no doubt (tidak ragu-ragu) because if you doubt
(ragu-ragu), just go home (pulang saja)" -- have been integrated
into many Acehnese units.
With the signing of the MOU, there is clearly willingness from
parties in Aceh to build trust. The government should rethink the
need for some military institutions established in Aceh during
the conflict. It is also important to move quickly to instill the
values of peaceful progress in the minds of the former combatants
in Aceh.
The socialization of the MOU should be aimed at police and
military forces in Aceh as well as GAM's members. The principles
laid out in the MOU define a post-conflict agenda to normalize
the situation in Aceh, this can only happen if steps are taken to
ensure these principles are accepted.
Peace is not just the absence of war, but the absence of the
machinery and mind-set of war. Both armed groups were good at
mobilizing and socializing their troops for war, it is now time
to do the same for peace and democracy.
The writer is a human rights advocate. He can be contacted at
agus_smur@hotmail.com.