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Indonesia’s Independence Day on Aug. 17
is still a long way off. But an intriguing question has loomed as to
whether the people of Aceh will mark the day as one of national unity and
reconciliation and salute the national flag? Or will they raise and
salute the flag of now defunct Free Aceh Movement (GAM) instead?
Since the
Indonesian government and GAM leaders signed a peace agreement in
Helsinki on Aug. 15, 2005, that brought nearly three decades of armed
rebellion to an end, GAM’s flag and its other attributes have been
banned.
The flag
issue has resurfaced and renewed debate after the Aceh Legislative
Council passed a qanun (ordinance) making GAM’s crescent moon and star
flag and the Bouraq-lion symbol the province’s official flag and coat of
arms. House of Representatives lawmakers were quick to accuse Aceh of
violating the Constitution and law.
The peace
accord says the local Aceh government can decide upon a new flag, anthem
and other regalia after holding an election.
Therefore, it
is not a decision for ex-GAM combatants, but the elected legislature
(DPRA) and the autonomous province of Aceh in consultation with the
House.
Interestingly,
the new flag was approved nearly unanimously by Aceh councilors. The
question is, has the DPRA consulted with the House in Jakarta on the
matter? I doubt it.
Beyond the
constitutional and legal issues, the feeling of being Indonesians among
Aceh people is visible, although it should not be assumed that it extends
to their respect for the national red-and-white flag.
As a
researcher and tutor at Syiah Kuala State University in Banda Aceh from
2008 to 2009 and a witness of the first anniversary of Aceh tsunami on
Dec. 26, 2005, I got the impression that most Acehnese I met felt
comfortable and happy about being part of Indonesia. My travels further
north to Lhokseumawe confirmed that sentiment.
This
happiness is obvious as Aceh has been granted special autonomy, which
includes the right to establish local political parties to articulate
Acehnese interests at the local legislative council and to formalize
sharia. Former GAM leaders and Aceh laymen I met in the field mostly said
they were proud of being both Indonesian and Acehnese.
Having said
that, in August this year there will be an even greater celebration of
the historic peace deal that led to Aceh’s special autonomy. The Acehnese
will all rejoice on that day as the time of their reconciliation with
Indonesia.
The Acehnese
have waited for this momentous occasion for a long time after the Aceh
rebellion led by Daud Bereueh from 1953 to 1963 and the Aceh independence
movement under charismatic GAM leader Hasan di Tiro from 1976 to 2005,
which left 15,000 dead.
During that
time, the Acehnese experienced enduring misery until a devastating
tsunami hit the province on Dec. 26, 2004, which saw 170,000 people
perish.
To many
people, including me, the tsunami was a blessing in disguise as it led to
an eternal peace.
There was a
perception that the tsunami was punishment for the moral crisis facing
the predominantly Muslim province. This was partly the reason behind the
stricter enforcement of sharia and the introduction of the controversial
sharia police in the region.
But, to
always link Aceh and sharia so as to create a nuance of the Middle East
is totally wrong. Many people I met in Jakarta and Australia were of the
opinion that Aceh had turned into an Arab province within Indonesia only
after the political decision on the Acehnese flag was made. Besides, the
crescent moon and star in the flag is the core symbol of Islamic
teachings.
During a
seminar on March 25 organized by the school of humanities and social
sciences (HASS), UNSW ADFA, Canberra, I argued that there was no single
picture when one talked about Aceh. It is therefore crucial to view Aceh
beyond the issue of sharia.
In
literature, adat or custom has equal footing with Islam in Acehnese
history. The two are like two sides of the same coin as exemplified in a
local poem “Adat bak peutoumeurouhoem, hukum bak syiah kuala”. Adat
belongs to peutoumeurouhoem (elder) and hukum or sharia belongs to Tengku
Syiah Kuala (Islamic cleric) (James T. Siegel, 1969). In terms of sharia
implementation, the highland Aceh (Gayo) observe Islam differently to
those of lowland Aceh (John Bowen, 1995).
Looking at
the attitude of the Acehnese, there is a positive dynamic among the
people themselves toward the revival of past symbols and institutions.
For example, Gayo youth marched on the main roads of Aceh to rally
against the ordinance on the Acehnese flag, saying the flag
misrepresented the Gayo community.
The issue of
the revival of local institutions and culture, as well as Islamic values,
is mostly proposed by older people, while young people prefer to talk
more about the current needs of the Acehnese. For them, the Acehnese flag
is a matter of past memories. So, let the Acehnese decide what’s best for
them. ●
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