Aceh regains harmony and dignity Hamid Awaluddin  ;   The writer, a former law and human rights minister, led the government team in negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland

JAKARTA POST,  26 Desember 2014

                                                                                                                       

Two weeks after huge sea waves ravaged the coastal cities of Aceh, a young man, Nezar Patria, returned to his village of Mulia, Kuta Alam district, Banda Aceh. With much trouble, he reached the village only to find the ruins of his house. The village was gone, leaving no family pictures or anything reminiscent of his childhood. “I lost my space abruptly, and my history, too,” wrote Nezar, a journalist. The tsunami that followed a major earthquake on Sunday morning, Dec. 26, 2004, wiped out all his memories of home, village and fellow citizens. In fact, said Nezar, “I had slept soundly on the second floor only in the previous month. Now just a part of a concrete wall was still standing, with all other crumbling frames and furniture engulfed in black mud.” Nezar’s home was 5 kilometers from the sea, but a big vessel was almost overturned in the front yard, crushing a sedan under it. “Outside the garage, two cars were squeezed together like toast, one belonging to our family and the other our neighbor’s. The remains of our neighbors, Yusuf and Nurhayati, lay on our car. They died along with a grandchild. A dead body in jeans was in the position of being ducked into a ditch.” Like most other coastal villages in Aceh Nezar’s community virtually lost a generation of its population. The tsunami triggered by the magnitude-9 tremors devastated Banda Aceh, Meulaboh, Pidie, North Aceh, East Aceh and other coastal areas at the northern end of Sumatra. Based on various records, the 2004 tsunami was the worst in 40 years. Some 200,000 people died or were missing and infrastructure was destroyed. Nature seemed to offer neither compromise, compassion nor empathy to mankind. Ten years ago the people of Aceh had to accept their destiny: losing everything while retaining their esteem. The world community, stunned by the force of nature, thronged to the region to lend a helping hand, relieving local suffering and reconstructing buildings reduced to rubble — everything was back to square one. It was around 10 p.m. on that day when then and current Vice President Jusuf Kalla gathered several ministers who were still in Jakarta including myself at his official residence. Kalla promptly issued orders, with no questioning, let alone negotiating. A director general from the Social Affairs Ministry insisted on sending instant noodles from Jakarta. Kalla responded irritably that it was cheaper to buy the food in Medan and transport it to Aceh. “Just bring along cash,” said Kalla. “But there’s a rule for issuing cash, Pak,” retorted the official. “Now I’m the rule and you must follow. You just sit there and make no comment,” snapped Kalla. Another director general from the Health Ministry said he was ordered to prepare 9 tons of drugs that evening to be transported by a military Hercules aircraft at dawn. Kalla snarled at him too, after he said it was impossible to obtain such a quantity as pharmacies were already closed. “The Military Commander is here, just ask for arms to shoot pharmacies’ doors and take the drugs,” remarked Kalla with a stare. Unexpectedly, I got my turn as law and human rights minister. “What are you doing for Aceh?” he asked. “I’ve just announced my policy, Pak, opening all airports and allowing freedom of entry without visas, as long as it serves humanitarian purposes,” I replied. “When did you give the instruction? You’ve just been sitting there,” pressed Kalla. “I’ve done it all by sending SMS, Pak,” I said. “Now that’s the practical way of working, no theory needed,” praised Kalla. Later, my policy of broadly opening the opportunity for foreigners was questioned by a number of officials. Fortunately Kalla always defended my stance, citing the emergency. On Jan. 27, 2005, I headed a delegation to start peace negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland. Kalla instructed me to describe the tragedy of humanity in Aceh to the GAM leaders. “Don’t start with any other matters except the suffering of Aceh’s people, which would end if the government and GAM ceased their conflict,” said Kalla before my departure. So I explained to them the consequences of the tsunami: how Aceh’s children had lost their parents, some children under 5 found on rooftops several days after the disaster, towns leveled to the ground, and so forth. Sofyan Djalil, an Indonesian delegate, was in tears as he described the agony. Nur Djuli, a GAM negotiator, suddenly interrupted, “There’s no need to bring tears here. Keep your tears in Indonesia.” I pounded the table instantly in protest. “The world is grieving for Aceh while you as an Acehnese show no sympathy to your suffering community. Pak Sofyan is no actor who easily pretends to weep. He witnessed Aceh’s destruction from the first day,” I said. On the third day of the first round of talks, the mediator, Martti Ahtisaari, asked me to have a tete-a-tete. He said GAM leaders Malik Machmud and Zaini Abdullah had been deeply moved by my earlier explanation about the dim future of Aceh following the tsunami, which could only be avoided by making immediate improvements through peace and tranquility. The next day Malik and Zaini invited me for a walk along a small stream behind the venue of the negotiations. We halted under a tree amid thickening snow. Malik covered me with his overcoat and said, “Pak Hamid, the Aceh people are suffering very much. We both have lost a lot of family members. […] I have grandchildren I wish to embrace. Please speed up this peacemaking process. Now it’s all in your hands,” he said, wiping his tears with his handkerchief. Days after the meeting under the tree, I phoned Kalla to report the approach and the tears of Malik. Kalla eagerly responded, “Hamid, God willing, we’ll be achieving peace as he’s been moved [...] Just go ahead and keep praying,” said Kalla. This tragedy was indeed the turning point shared by the government and GAM to build Aceh’s peace. The tsunami was the first port from which we departed to prepare the future of Aceh’s children who had to suffer from the earthquake and tsunami. Malik and Zaini were considerably motivated when I talked about the fate of Aceh’s children. It was the beginning of peace. The tsunami also undermined GAM’s power to a great extent because many of their combatants were killed in the calamity. Their arms and ammunition were also lost or damaged. Even their intellectual figure, Ibrahim Tiba, disappeared along with the Aceh penitentiary, where he had been detained for several years. Indeed, the tsunami has caused Aceh to lose many things, including space and history. However, the tsunami also allowed Aceh to recover its dignity due to the prevailing peace, which was absent for 30 years prior to the catastrophe. Wherever there are fundamental changes there is always a transition period. In any criticism of Aceh’s leaders it is unfair to equate them with those in other areas, and we cannot negate the elected choice of their people. Ten years is not too long for adjustment. Current and former leaders of Aceh were guerrillas in the jungles and elsewhere; naturally they need time to adjust to the present conditions. I also agree with views that the required follow-up regulations to the 2006 Law have been slow. A large part of this task lies with the central government which is sometimes very slow in coordinating its own institutions. This is a great problem. Furthermore, government delegates tasked to meet Aceh’s leaders sometimes lack understanding of issues, making problems protracted and complicated. Sometimes I also see how officials do not understand the psychology of the Acehnese. There must be serious efforts to bridge this gap, as Acehnese also sometimes make demands that are too high. The government of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Kalla must resolve the implementing regulations of the 2006 Law, and continue development of Aceh’s infrastructure. Most important, Jokowi and Kalla must settle the contentious issue of Aceh’s flag, which was deliberately stalled under president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who was buying time and avoiding the issue. Aceh is today a place of harmony with good prospects. Children are back to school for a brighter tomorrow. The rage of the waves has gone, replaced by the silence of guns and the vanishing animosity toward the republic. The Aceh saying is thus true: Pat ujeun nyang han pirang, pat prang nyang han reda, meaning: there’s no rain without cessation, there’s no war without an end. Glory to Aceh! ●