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.