A Historic Milestone in the Elusive Quest for Peace in Aceh

August 11, 2005

After decades of fighting in a separatist war, the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement or GAM rebels are due to sign on 15 August, 2005, a memorandum of understanding to bring an end to the conflict. This is the result of 5 rounds of peace talks since the Asian tsunami disaster. Dr Irman G. Lanti, Program Director at The Indonesian Institute in Jakarta looks at whether new-found peace can endure on the ground.

"We have seen five rounds of peace talks between the Indonesian government and GAM since the tsunami disaster, held in Helsinki under the auspices of the Crisis Management Initiative, an NGO led by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisari. The points of agreement in each round were very difficult to formulate and agree upon. But eventually the negotiating teams of the two parties have agreed on the fundamental issues.

Among these points of agreement are: (1) GAM is willing to give up the demand for independence and it is also willing to cease the armed struggle that has been used to fight the Indonesian authority; (2) in return, the Indonesian government will provide a general amnesty to all GAM combatants, and an avenue for GAM members to participate in local politics in Aceh. Additionally, the Indonesian government also reconfirms that it will not revoke the special autonomy status that the Acehnese have enjoyed for the last four years. The Indonesian government’s willingness to offer such concessions to GAM is probably based upon the desire the stave off separatist tendencies that have gained prominence since the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998. It probably expects to create a precedence for the future handling of separatist problems in other parts of the country.

But the upcoming signing of the points of agreement should not be taken for granted as an indication that peace will soon arrive in Aceh. There are still many potential obstacles ahead, coming from both sides. The Helsinki rounds of peace talks have generated a great controversy in Indonesia. While most of the ordinary Acehnese are naturally supportive of the idea to find an end to the decades-long suffering caused by the conflict, the elite in Jakarta is divided. Opponents say that the government was giving GAM too many concessions. The hardliners in the Indonesian military (TNI) and in the parliament argue that by talking to rebel leaders based in Sweden, who have renounced Indonesian citizenship, and by holding the talks outside of Indonesia, the government has risked “internationalizing” the Aceh question. Some of these hawks even see that the inclusion of international observers from the European Union and ASEAN bears a resemblance to the involvement of the international community in the East Timor referendum in 1999, which they still see as a “loss” to Indonesia.

The other point of controversy is GAM’s request for its members to be allowed full participation in the politics and governance in Aceh. The general amnesty will allow GAM members to vote and run as candidates for governor, district heads, mayors, as well members of local parliaments. But GAM insisted on being allowed to transform itself into a local political party, which will field candidates for local elections. But the law on political parties in Indonesia only allows parties that are nationally-based. The 24 parties that contested in last year’s election have their national headquarters in Jakarta, and were represented in at least two thirds of Indonesia’s 33 provinces and around 400 districts and municipalities. With its local character, GAM will probably only have appeal in Aceh.

Indonesians are divided on this issue. Those who are for peace at any cost suggest that there should be an exception to the Aceh case. Local parties should be allowed only in Aceh. Those who are opposed fear the opening of the “Pandora’s box.” Allowing GAM to transform into a local party will inspire other separatist-minded groups, especially in other trouble-spots in Indonesia such as in Maluku and Papua, to pursue a similar path. There is also a suspicion that GAM will use the local party as a platform to launch the separatist agenda through the ballot boxes. There are others who prefer to take the middle-way approach by allowing GAM members to stand as independent candidates in local elections, but not allowing them to organize themselves into a local political party.

To be sure, the potential to disrupt the peace process also comes from GAM side. Many suspect that GAM is not a solid, unified group under the command of the political leadership based in Sweden. It is unclear whether GAM commanders in the jungle of Aceh would follow wholeheartedly the decision to disband themselves and to apply for general amnesty. There could always be the potential that some of the GAM combatants that have bitterly fought the Indonesian forces would consider such a move with utter contempt.

All in all, both the Indonesian government and GAM should be applauded for the upcoming signing of the points of agreement. But they still have a hard task ahead to work out the specifics of the agreement that will win support from the Acehnese and the other Indonesians. As always, the devil is in the details."

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