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"Aceh
: National Identity and Democracy in Indonesia"
Remarks
by Dr. Dino Patti Djalal at a symposium convened by
There
is never an easy solution to conflicts which feature ethno-nationalism,
and Aceh is certainly no exception to this rule. But the context under
which the Conflict is now dealt with is changing. To begin with, the Aceh
conflict is now being addressed within an entirely new political landscape-a
democratic Indonesia, which since 1999 has become the world's third largest
democracy. Democracy, of course, is not necessarily a panacea for complex
ethnic disputes, but this does not absolve the fact that the policy of
the present Government on Aceh marks a distinct departure from the ways
of the past. The visit by President Wahid to Aceh in January this year;
the prosecution of perpetrators of human rights violators; the withdrawal
of combat military troops from the area; the designation of the police
to handle law and order; the increased dialogue with various components
of the Acehnese community, the talks with the leaders of the Free Aceh
Movement in Switzerland – all these measures mark new policy initiatives
by the Indonesian government. The government js now willing to address
the root causes of the problem and to explore creative ways to deal with
them. The government is well aware that what is needed in Aceh is a peaceful
political solution, not a military solution, and we realize that the
best way to move forward is through dialogue and accommodation. Moreover,
the present government places human rights at the center of efforts to
manage the bloody conflict. It
is important to recognize that Indonesia is currently in the midst of
struggling for its self-preservation to maintain its nationhood and statehood
as conceived by our founding fathers in 1945. Ethnic-related disputes
with varying degrees of intensity have sprung up in many parts of Indonesia
- in Irian Jaya, Maluku, West Timor, Riau, etc. Arguably, no other nation
in the region--perhaps in free world--is facing internal disturbances
in a scale, magnitude and ferocity presently faced by the Indonesian people.
Nationalist feelings are running high within the Indonesian body-politics,
and there are different degrees of tolerance and patience in dealing with
the nation's problems. I bring this up to impress upon you that the Indonesian
Government's policy toward Aceh serves a double purpose : first, to find
a political settlement to end the bloody conflict in Aceh, and secondly,
to maintain the national unity and territorial integrity of lndonesia.
These are aspects which my government feels very passionately about, and
it is a crucial factor in understanding Indonesia's perspective on Aceh.
What
has been achieved : The
most important development this year is the Joint Understanding on
Humanitarian Pause for Aceh signed on May 12 in Switzerland by representatives
of the Indonesian Government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). This Humanitarian
Pause was agreed to last for 3 months between June 2 to September 2. The
meeting between the two sides was facilitated by Henry Dunant Centre-(HDC),
a recenttly established independent NG0 based in Geneva which specializes
in humanitarian works and which continue to be active in the peace process
as facilitator .
This
peace process is significant on several counts: First,
it directly addresses the two most important pressing issues, security
on the ground and the welfare of the people of Aceh. These two goaIs -
security and welfare - are mutually reinforcing. The security modality
aims among others "to ensure the reduction of tension and cessation
of violence”, "to guarantee the absence of military actions by armed
forces of the Republic of Indonesia and by the Free Aceh Movement; and
"to ensure the continuing of normal police function for the enforcement
of law and the maintenance of public order.” More security, more
law and order, more food, more medicine, more shelter - all these measures
promote human rights. The basic thinking is that the cessation of violence
and improved welfare would provide a strong basis for the peace process
to move forward. Secondly,
the two sides are now engaged in a mechanism where they can work together
to Are
these Forums, Committees, Team and meetings relevant?
Absolutely. They have helped nurture trust and confidence between
the negotiating parties. They have helped let off steam, eased tension
and have enable the two sides to work systematically to improve the situation
in Aceh. The Joint Forum, for example, has met 3 times since the signing
of the Understanding (on 23-24 June, 5-6 August and 23-24 September),
and the atmospherics in those 3 meetings were reported to be frank and
cooperative. Indonesia's chief negotiator Ambassador Nurhasan Wirayhuda,
who played a key role in successfully brokering a peace between the Philippine
Government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1996, is a
firm believer in the creed that the amount of negotiating hours clocked
in by the disputants bears direct impact on the development of trust and
confidence among them and, in turn, on their ability to produce results.
Thirdly,
the peace process is showing some positive signs on the ground. The announcement
of the Joint Understanding has been generally welcomed by the population
in Aceh, who have grown tired of the conflict and the fighting. A partial
degree of normalcy has returned, as evident in the resumption of certain
economic (transport and local markets) and social activities, while quantitatively
the frequency of clashes has been in relative decline.
The
problems:
The
main problem faced by the Humanitarian Pause for Aceh is how to get from
intention to implementation. This is of course not entirely uncommon in
any peace process. Since the signing of the Humanitarian Pause, there
were a number of violations to the provisions of the Joint Understanding
as some of the GAM elements continued to engage in killings, kidnapping,
burning, attacks on police outposts, extortion, distribution of threatening
letters and intimidation of local village officials so that they would
abandon their work - all these were reported in the media. We realize
that passion, expectancy and militancy among certain groups on the ground
is so high that it is difficult to get everybody into line with the Humanitarian
Pause. These concerns have been discussed at the Joint Forum and we hope
that active measures will be taken to rectify them. Despite
the hiccups and occasional incidents, however, the Humanitarian Pause
which ended on 2 September this year, was extended until 15 January 2001.
This is another good sign. The peace process is now proceeding to the
next level that is to engage in exploratory talks on issues of political
substance which is expected to lead towards a comprehensive political
settlement. This is still a very sensitive subject, and it is wise to
give the negotiating parties ample privacy to discuss matters behind closed
doors for the time being. Yet, the point cannot be missed : the peace
process is moving forward, albeit painfully and very cautiously. But we
are under no illusion that the current state of peace in Aceh remains
fragile, and that the road ahead is fraught with even more serious challenges.
We know that peace-making is a trial and error process that requires time,
patience, and most of all, determination. So long as the efforts to stop
the violence continue, so long as the humanitarjan reliefs keep coming
to the internally displaced persons and others who need it most, so long
as the parties in conflict continue talking, so long efforts to
How
the international community can help:
One
final question: what does Indonesia expect from the international community?
We are grateful and appreciative of the international support for the
position of Indonesia, particularly the support for the territorial integrity
and national unity of Indonesia.
We thank the governments of our region, Islamic countries, the
US, the European Union, and others for their support. We are also encouraged
by the support of the international community, including from the US Government,
for the Humanitarian Pause and its extension to January 2001. The members
of the international community can continue their constructive support
to this process. They can help to alleviate the plight of the population
in Aceh by providing humanitarian assistance, particularly through the
UNDP. Most importantly, the international community, be they governments
or NGO, can help by advocating moderation, dialogue and compromise to
reach peaceful political solution. The fragile peace that we have today
can be harmed by unchecked extremism and renewed violence. They should
also give room for the parties directly involved in the conflicts to negotiate
behind closed doors in good faith, away from publicity-seeking media glare.
Charles
Darwin has suggested that "It is not the strongest of the species
that survives, nor the most intelligent, but rather the one most adaptable
to change.” The political leadership in Indonesia knows that if
we are to survive as a nation, then we must learn to adapt to changes
from within us and around us. And the true test of our survival indeed
is our ability to remain as one nation at peace with itself, and that
means peace with our brothers and sisters in Aceh. |
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