Peace in Aceh

Peace in Aceh PDF

Author: Damien Kingsbury

Publisher: Equinox Publishing

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 9793780258

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Following nearly three decades of conflict and a series of failed ceasefire agreements, on 15 August 2005, the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Government of Indonesia reached an historic peace agreement to end the fighting and to give Aceh a high degree of genuine autonomy. The catalyst for the talks that produced this agreement was the devastating tsunami of 26 December 2004, which left almost 170,000 dead or missing in Aceh and destroyed most of the populated low-lying areas. Despite the massive destruction, the peace talks were conducted under an intensified military campaign. GAM made a major concession to the talks by announcing early that it was prepared to negotiate an outcome other than complete independence. The Indonesian side, however, under pressure from the military and "nationalists" in Jakarta, pressed for GAM to accept a minor reworking of the status quo. The international community, meanwhile, just pressed for a settlement. In the end, the Indonesian government also compromised, and the two parties reached an agreement that was intended to end the fighting and to address many, if not all, of GAM's outstanding claims. Despite opposition to the talks process, and to compromise, the outcome was increasingly seen both in Jakarta and in Aceh as a "win-win" situation, and as a further significant step in Indonesia's continuing process of reform and democratization. Peace in Aceh offers an insider's personal account of that peace process and is required reading for anyone wishing to understand this troubled province. DR. DAMIEN KINGSBURY is Associate Professor in the School of International and Political Studies and Director of International and Community Development at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia. He was political adviser to GAM for the peace talks and assisted in drafting and negotiating key elements of the peace agreement. Dr. Kingsbury has published extensively on Indonesian politics, the military and regional security issues, including The Politics of Indonesia (3rd edition 2005), Violence in Between: Conflict and Security in Archipelagic Southeast Asia (2005), and Power Politics and the Indonesian Military (2003).

The Aceh Peace Process

The Aceh Peace Process PDF

Author: Pieter Feith

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 8

ISBN-13:

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An EU-led mission completed its mandate of monitoring and supporting the peace process in the Indonesian province of Aceh on December 15, 2006. This report looks at the reasons for the successful outcome of the Aceh peace process, which offers useful lessons for peace implementation elsewhere.

Supporting Peace in Aceh

Supporting Peace in Aceh PDF

Author: Patrick Barron

Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 88

ISBN-13: 9812308636

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More than two and one-half years after the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement, peace still holds in the Indonesian province of Aceh. This monograph looks at the role of international involvement in the Aceh peace process from the signing of the agreement in August 2005 until the end of 2006. It considers the role of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), a joint civilian body of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and of aid agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank. It seeks to answer four questions: To what extent does international involvement account for the success of the peace deal? What accounts for variations in the effectiveness of international agencies? What factors shaped the ways in which agencies could participate in the peace process following the signing of the Helsinki MoU? And what lessons can be learned from the Aceh experience for other peace processes, in particular in places where the state remains strong? The study finds that domestic factors were more important than international involvement in bringing peace to Aceh. AMM played an effective but narrow role, and its success counters arguments for inclusive and broad "human security" approaches to peacebuilding. The net effect of international aid agencies was positive, but by and large they did not shape government policies and provided technical assistance that was often of limited use. Local knowledge and ability to work within political constraints were key factors in the success of international aid. The study shows that pragmatic approaches and realistic expectations are needed in determining how international actors can best support peace processes elsewhere.

The Helsinki Agreement

The Helsinki Agreement PDF

Author: Edward Aspinall

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13:

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This study examines the latest attempt to bring an end to one of Asia?s longest-running separatist conflicts. In August 2005 in Finland, representatives of the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement signed an agreement which sets down the outline of a comprehensive settlement to the Aceh conflict. Until recently, this conflict had appeared close to intractable. Earlier attempts to reach a negotiated settlement between 2000 and 2003 broke down in acrimony and the Indonesian government launched a military offensive, vowing to wipe out the rebels once and for all. Why did the two parties agree to resume talks so soon after the earlier failures? And what are the chances that the peace agreement will hold this time? Written by a leading expert on the Aceh conflict, this study examines the factors that prompted the belligerents to return to the negotiating table, surveys the course of the negotiations, analyses the deal itself and identifies potential spoilers. It concludes that the Helsinki agreement represents Aceh?s best chance for peace since the separatist insurgency began almost thirty years ago. The deal is more comprehensive than earlier agreements and its monitoring provisions are more robust. There is also more good will on both sides, based partly on greater awareness that previous violent strategies had failed. Even so, there are powerful forces opposed to the deal, and backsliding or equivocation on either side could easily prompt a return to violence if implementation is not managed skillfully. This is the twentieth publication in Policy Studies, a peer-reviewed East-West Center Washington series that presents scholarly analysis of key contemporary domestic and international political, economic, and strategic issues affecting Asia in a policy relevant manner.

The Aceh Peace Process

The Aceh Peace Process PDF

Author: Edward Aspinall

Publisher: East-West Center

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 94

ISBN-13:

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This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the history and dynamics of Aceh's abortive peace process conducted between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government. After surveying the origins and progress of the negotiations, the paper examines the roles played by the main players, the problems encountered along the way, and the achievements that were registered. Currently the peace process has broken down because the two parties have been unable to agree on the fundamental issue dividing them: whether Aceh would become an independent nation or remain an integral part of the Indonesian state. This essay explains the reasons for the failure of the process with the hope that the lessons learned may be of relevance to policymakers, analysts, and others with an interest in the long-term resolution of the Aceh conflict as well as other internal disputes in the region and beyond. It also suggests that the Indonesian government's current resort to a military solution is not only unlikely to resolve the conflict but may ultimately be counterproductive. Eventually a return to negotiations not necessarily with GAM alone will be necessary.

Scraps of Hope in Banda Aceh

Scraps of Hope in Banda Aceh PDF

Author: Marjaana Jauhola

Publisher: Helsinki University Press

Published: 2020-12-17

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 9523690175

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Scraps of Hope in Banda Aceh examines the rebuilding of the city of Banda Aceh in Indonesia in the aftermath of the celebrated Helsinki-based peace mediation process, thirty years of armed conflict, and the tsunami. Offering a critical contribution to the study of post-conflict politics, the book includes 14 documentary videos reflecting individuals’ experiences on rebuilding the city and following the everyday lives of people in Banda Aceh. Marjaana Jauhola mirrors the peace-making process from the perspective of the ‘outcast’ and invisible, challenging the selective narrative and ideals of the peace as a success story. Jauhola provides alternative ways to reflect the peace dialogue using ethnographic and film documentarist storytelling. Scraps of Hope in Banda Aceh tells a story of layered exiles and displacement, revealing hidden narratives of violence and grief while exposing struggles over gendered expectations of being good and respectable women and men. It brings to light the multiple ways of arranging lives and forming caring relationships outside the normative notions of nuclear family and home, and offers insights into the relations of power and violence that are embedded in the peace.

TO SEE THE UNSEEN - Scenes behind the Aceh Peace Treaty

TO SEE THE UNSEEN - Scenes behind the Aceh Peace Treaty PDF

Author: Dr. Farid W. Husain, Sp.B, KBD

Publisher: PT. Rayyana Komunikasindo

Published: 2007-07-06

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 602583427X

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“From a business perspective, I comprehend Dr. Farid’s task was to offer,sell, and carry out after-sale services. Dr. Farid, from a surgeon’sperspective, comprehends his task was to check, take action and aidrecovery. Dr. Farid undertook his duty with true sincerity, responsibility,and joy, thus enabling him to find the path that eluded us.” M. Jusuf Kalla Vice President Republic of Indonesia (2004-2009 & 2014-2019) “Dr. Farid Husain is indeed an extraordinary person. He is a man ofpatience and honesty who never once despaired of bringing the twoconflicting parties of GAM and RI to the negotiating table.” Malik Mahmud Former GAM Prime Minister “This man successfully implemented many of Jusuf Kalla’s orders andsucceeded in bringing the conflicting sides to the negotiating table ....When the religious sentiment erupted in Poso, Central Sulawesi, severalyears ago, Farid went to extreme lengths behind the screen to bringabout the signing of the Malino I Peace Treaty in December 2001.” Special Edition of Tempo Magazine, October 30 2005 “..in my view, Farid Husain, just like Jusuf Kalla, was an essential troubleshooter. They could both be relied upon to solve problems.” Pieter Feith Former Chief of Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) I wrote this book from the notes I compiled while conducting peace missions in several territories within our homeland, specifically in Poso, Ambon, and Aceh. As many of my notes have never been publicized before, Mr. Jusuf Kalla has no real idea of their contents. This was one fact that motivated me to write this book. I wanted to expose the ‘unseen’ and that is why I chose the title To See the Unseen. I hope that the experiences depicted in this book may benefit the readers, especially those with an interest in conflict resolution and peace.