James Balowski, Jakarta
Despite earlier opposition, leaders of Indonesia's parliament now appear to be willing to allow provincial-based political parties to be established in Aceh. This was a major sticking point in finalising the peace agreement reached between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government in Helsinki on July 17.
First signs of a backdown on the issue emerged on July 24 during a meeting at the residence of Vice-President
Yusuf Kalla with top government officials and leaders of nine political parties represented in the unicameral House of Representatives (DPR). Only the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which has most strongly opposed the negotiations, was absent.
Following the meeting, Kalla said that all of the parties except the PDI-P would approve the proposal and provide a legal basis for it, either by revising the law on political parties or the law on special autonomy for Aceh.
The July 26 Jakarta Post reported that DPR speaker Agung Laksono said he was optimistic the proposal would be endorsed by the DPR. Deputy speaker Zaenal Maarif was also optimistic, saying: "Why wouldn't we endorse the proposal? We need to remember that this is perhaps the only way to establish peace in Aceh. As long as it is not against the constitution, just go ahead."
Laksono also said most of the parties would allow the government to sign the peace agreement with GAM on August 15 without first having to seek formal approval from the parliament. Earlier, some legislators had said it must first obtain the DPR's approval, arguing that it was in essence a peace deal with "foreigners".
The preliminary agreement covers political participation, human rights issues, an amnesty for GAM members, security arrangements and a disputes settlement body. It also includes the establishment of a monitoring mission of 300 unarmed observers from the European Union and the Association of South-East Asian Nations.
Early in the negotiations, GAM dropped its demand for independence for the oil-rich province and agreed instead to "self-governance" within the Republic of Indonesia.
Under the agreement, Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) troop withdrawals will start in September, along with the surrender and destruction of GAM's weapons. It is on these two issues however that problems are already emerging.
In a press statement released on July 21, the Acehnese solidarity organisation Students Solidarity for the People (SMUR) welcomed the peace agreement, saying it reflected an understanding that Aceh desperately needs a climate of peace and democracy to rebuild after the devastating December 26 tsunami left some 165,000 dead or missing.
SMUR stressed, however, that demilitarisation is the key to self-governance succeeding and if this fails all other aspects of the process will collapse. SMUR said that concerns have arisen because of the different interpretations of demilitarisation being put forward by the government, the DPR, the political parties and the TNI.
SMUR said that the government and the TNI see demilitarisation as being simply the surrender and destruction of GAM weapons after which TNI troops be withdrawn from Aceh in stages.
GAM, on the other hand, sees demilitarisation as requiring foreign monitors to oversee and control the entire process.
In its statement, SMUR expressed concern that the peace process could fail because of GAM and the Acehnese people's "trauma" over past betrayals by Jakarta. SMUR noted that the TNI sabotaged an earlier peace deal by continuing operations against GAM and mobilising pro-Indonesia militia groups against foreign monitors.
After the negotiations broke down, all of GAM's top negotiators were arrested, and the TNI and Indonesian police hunted down human rights activists in Aceh. Because of this, SMUR said, GAM and the people of Aceh still do not trust Jakarta to stick to negotiated agreements.
In light of this, SMUR said that time is needed for confidence building and that the disarmament of GAM under the protection and supervision of the international monitors must go hand in hand with TNI troop withdrawals and an end to TNI military operations in Aceh. It also called for support and solidarity from the Indonesian democratic movement and the Indonesian people to pressure the government and the DPR to fully support the peace process in Aceh.
In a statement issued on July 19, the Acehnese Popular Democratic Resistance Front (FPDRA), while also welcoming the agreement, said that the two most important issues are demilitarisation and the legalisation of Aceh-based political parties. FPDRA chairperson Thamrin Ananda said that demilitarisation is not just about GAM surrendering its weapons, but must also involve the immediate withdrawal of non-Acehnese TNI troops and police.
He said that following the legalisation of Aceh-based parties, the provincial parliament should be dissolved and new elections held.
On July 20, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the TNI to halt its military operations in Aceh. GAM, however, says that the peace deal is already being endangered by an accelerating TNI campaign of intimidation and violence. GAM claims that at least 10 people have been killed since the agreement was negotiated.
GAM spokesperson Sofyan Dawood, speaking by phone from the Aceh jungle, told the July 27 Australian that the TNI had besieged a village on July 25. "The TNI is still conducting military operations", he said. "It's even worse than before the draft agreement was finalised."
Dawood said the next few weeks were crucial for the chances of long-term peace in Aceh. "If there is no meeting point [on a scale-down of TNI operations], there is the possibility the negotiations will be affected", he said.
He also said that if the TNI's violence continued, GAM would could call a halt to the whole peace-agreement process.
The TNI has denied Dawood's allegations. Lieutenant-Colonel Erie Sutiko, military spokesperson in the Acehnese city of Lhokseumawe, told the Australian that TNI forces in Aceh were "just coordinating security and reconstruction for Aceh" and that "so far the TNI in Aceh has fully supported the policy of the government".
According to a July 27 report on the FPDRA's website, however, motorcycle owners in Meulaboh, in western Aceh, are being "obliged" to attach anti-peace stickers to their vehicles or risk being detained by security forces. According to the report, the sticker reads: "The GAM separatists are my enemy, Hasan Tiro is a traitor to my nation, NKRI is my country."
Hasan Tiro founded GAM in 1976 and has lived in Sweden since 1979. NKRI is the acronym for "Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia", a term used by Indonesian nationalists to express their desire to maintain the territorial integrity of the Indonesian state.
From Green Left Weekly, August 3, 2005.
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