Five Minutes to Midnight - Issue for March 2005


The Future of Aceh (by Chris Hockman) Air tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya "Never think that still water doesn't have crocodiles" - Indonesian Proverb The events of December 26, 2004 will stay with the world forever. It is important to understand the history of Aceh, Indonesia, one of the worst affected areas, to see what the future holds. Aceh has had many problems in its long history, with the most prominent being its longing for freedom. Like East Timor and many islands of Indonesia, many different countries have claimed the region of Aceh at different times. The earliest recorded kingdom of Aceh was in the 6th Century when China claimed the province. Many kingdoms were then established in the region before the Dutch claimed Aceh as they took control of the rest of Indonesia in 1873. Indonesia was formed as an independent country in the aftermath of World War II ; however, many parts of the country, including Aceh, have ‘fought’ for independence since then. East Timor gained independence from the rest of Indonesia in 2001 and since that time the movement in Aceh has grown. In 1961, Aceh was granted “Special Region” status giving it a semi-autonomous government in religion, culture and education. In 1977, the Free Aceh Movement declared Aceh independent; however, the Indonesian government did not recognise this declaration, and this resulted in guerrilla warfare through the rest of the century. Peace talks began in 2002 in an attempt to grant Aceh more autonomy, but Martial Law was declared in 2003. Many of the rebels were jailed at a prison close to the coast where the tsunami hit. One of the first places hit by the December 26 tsunami was a prison where many of the separatists were being held. The panic of the situation forced all within the prison to flee, but when a call was put out for the prisoners to return and assist with the rescue effort the next day, almost all returned. The separatists also agreed to a cease-fire. Like East Timor, the separatists believe that there would be great economic benefit in being independent from Indonesia, while still maintaining traditional and cultural roots. As Martial Law was imposed in 2003, the Indonesian government stepped up the offensive on rebels and according to a Human Rights Watch report, the Indonesian forces committed many violations of human rights towards the people of Aceh. The report includes the following abuses: abductions leading to death, forced disappearances, physical abuse, extortion, and looting. An eighteen-year-old Achenese man is reported to have said, “We’re used to hearing gunfire. If there isn’t any we can’t sleep”. As part of the relief effort in Aceh, one of the refugee camps was given 250 envelopes each containing 20,000 rupiah (about $2 US). The Achenese took to fighting each other to gain the envelopes. Later, another benefactor appeared and due to the shame of the previous fight, those in the camp formed three orderly lines to receive the various amounts of money. Many different issues have marred the recovery efforts in Aceh. In late January, Farid Faqih, chairman of Government Watch and a leading United Nations contractor in Aceh, was arrested for diverting aid and stealing funds. The area was also stuck by an earthquake on the 17th of February, creating extra issues for the area to overcome. Fortunately, the future does look brighter for Aceh. Peace talks have re-started as the situation has forced the two groups to combine forces or, at the very least, stop fighting. The Indonesian government has re-offered "special autonomy status" an offer previously rejected by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), as they insisted on outright independence. The President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, promised to end the conflict in Aceh and has used the tsunami to enact his promise. Prince Hasan di Tiro, who is considered the rightful head of state of Aceh by GAM, is still demanding independence for Aceh from his exile in Stockholm. It is likely that Tiro has been away from Aceh so long (since 1976) that he does not realise how important a lasting peace is and may not know what the people want. The key to any lasting peace is a compromise. The Indonesian government has most of the power in this scenario. If GAM does not agree to a compromise they will just try and crush them with brute force. It is unfortunate that it may come to that after such hard work from both sides, but both sides will need to compromise. As the dust settles after the tsunami it should produce some good for Aceh. This will not come quickly or easily and everybody involved will be required to make sacrifices. Sources "Aceh." Columbia Encyclopedia. 5 Mar. 2005 <http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&an=IXBAceh>. "Aceh." Wikipedia. 4 Marh. 2005. 5 Mar. 2005 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aceh>. "Aceh Under Martial Law: Inside the Secret War: Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Violations." Human Rights Watch. Dec. 2003. 5 Mar. 2005 <http://hrw.org/reports/2003/indonesia1203/5.htm#_Toc58915047>. "Arrest mars Aceh aid effort." Sydney Morning Herald. 28 Jan. 2005. 5 Mar. 2005 <http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsunami/Arrest-mars-Aceh-aid-effort/2005/01/27/ 1106415736687.html>. "Indonesia and rebels seize chance to talk peace." Sydney Morning Herald. 30 Jan. 2005. 5 Mar. 2005 <http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsunami/Indonesia-and-rebels- seize-the-chance-to-talk-peace/2005/01/29/1106850159961.html>. "Where $3 can cause mayhem." Sydney Morning Herald. 22 Jan. 2005. 5 Mar. 2005 <http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsunami/Where-3-can-cause-mayhem/2005/01/ 21/1106110947860.html>. [ issue contents ] [ fmm home ] [ send feedback ]