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: 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.

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.

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.