January 16, 2005

Aceh rebel offer worth pondering

 The offer by the Aceh separatists for a ceasefire with the Indonesian army

in the wake of the tsunami disaster in northern Sumatra was cynical. It was

a shameless and manipulative device aimed almost entirely at gaining

attention and sympathy for the illegal and dangerous Free Aceh Movement

known as GAM from its Bahasa Indonesia initials. But the ceasefire offer is

also a great idea that the authorities in Jakarta should have thought of. It

is encouraging they are responding, and seek to turn disaster relief into a

beneficial peace for Aceh.

 Hostilities in Aceh effectively ceased on the morning of Dec 26 anyhow. The

dreadful suffering of the Acehnese and the resident Indonesian military are

well documented. Presumably GAM fighters were equally stricken. A ceasefire

was effectively called by the tsunami. Proof of peace, however temporary,

was clear. Even the US marines were welcomed joyously. Reports from aid

agencies from around the world jibe; the rebels have neither opposed nor

exploited relief efforts. Now Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla says the

government wants to turn the ceasefire into a permanent truce. This is

encouraging.

 Neither the army nor the rebels have made gains in the wake of the

disaster. The first offer of an open-ended ceasefire was by the rebels and

outmanoeuvred Jakarta. But so what, really? By their published offer, the

rebels achieved only brief propaganda profit. The decision by the government

to offer even more than GAM is welcome news, and any peace profit goes to

the people of Aceh in any case. Jakarta cannot give up the right to respond

when provoked, but the government was actually late in an offer to halt all

military offensives.

 Indonesia will win no influence if it attempts to exploit the disaster in

Aceh right now. The world has reacted quickly and charitably in Aceh, by far

the worst-hit area by the Dec 26 earthquake and tsunami. Indonesian efforts

to treat aid-responders poorly will reflect badly on Jakarta. And that is

partly because Indonesia has been so clumsily heavy-headed in its

confrontation with the separatists in the first place. With a long history

of civil rights abuses and 13,000 casualties since 1976, Indonesia cannot

afford to raise suspicions it wants foreigners out of Aceh only to renew its

questionable campaign.

 Jakarta must credit the positive points of the GAM offer, as Mr Jusuf said.

GAM is the only Islamist group that even recognised the Dec 26 horror, let

alone took helpful steps. The extremists in southern Thailand did not pause

their murderous campaign in order to help fellow stricken Muslims a province

away. Jemaah Islamiyah, the Indonesian-based ally of al-Qaeda, showed no

sympathy, let alone offer aid for Sumatra.

 GAM may try to exploit the ceasefire it claims it wants, but that works

both ways. Indonesia has already started to hassle aid workers. Paperwork

for permission to help earthquake victims has appeared. A three-month limit

on the US military presence is already ticking despite United Nations

protests. Jakarta spread claims it cannot assure security of aid workers

from the separatists.

 There are times to use strong security and military measures against

threats to national unity. This is not one. While no GAM attack or threat

should go unanswered, Jakarta must remain militarily passive. There is a

strong possibility some good can emerge, with the help of the UN and other

relief efforts. It might be that Jakarta and GAM, with a common interest in

rebuilding Aceh, can build their own fragile relations.

 The Indonesian military has earned criticism and suspicion for its

sometimes violent actions. The occupation of East Timor was a textbook case

of needless brutality, and reports of similar harshness have trickled out of

Aceh. Many criticised the recent US decision to begin selling spares to the

Indonesian military, even though they were vitally needed for tsunami relief

efforts. A ceasefire in Aceh costs Jakarta little. On the contrary, the

country's image will be better. There is also a chance for meaningful

negotiations to end the Aceh violence entirely.