Aceh rebels trade bullets for ballots

Aceh rebels trade bullets for ballotsBanda Aceh, Indonesia  - Just four years ago, Yahya Muad and his comrades were hiding in the jungle while fighting a guerrilla war against the Indonesian army for an independent Aceh.

Now, sitting in a literally smoke-filled room in the headquarters of the Aceh Party, of which he is secretary general, he talks about democracy and peace under "a united Indonesia."

The Aceh Party, the political wing of former rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), is one of six political parties allowed to contest for legislative seats in Aceh province as part of Indonesia's April 9 general elections.

The participation of local political parties in Indonesia's elections is unprecedented, made possible by a 2005 peace agreement between GAM and the Jakarta government, which provides for wider autonomy for Aceh in return for the rebels abandoning their struggle for independence.

The peace pact was spurred by the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed about 170,000 people in Aceh, a toll that dwarfed deaths caused by the conflict, estimated at 15,000.

"In war, we are forced to choose; kill or be killed. But peace time is about human rights, reconciliation and respecting the law," Muad, 47, told the German Press Agency dpa.

Before the peace pact, Muad was a spokesman for the military wing of GAM, the Aceh Sumatra National Army. He and other former rebels in the Aceh Party had completely abandoned the idea of an independent Aceh, he said.

"Our party is committed to democracy, reintegration and reconciliation under the Unitary State of Indonesia. We are looking to a future where there's justice and dignity," Muad said, surrounded by party members.

No major political rallies were scheduled in Banda Aceh until April 1, but the streets are festooned with flags of dozens of local and national parties, with pictures of candidates put up everywhere, including on trees and electricity poles.

Analysts say the Aceh Party looks poised to dominate the next provincial parliament, but some Acehnese were divided.

"I will vote for the Aceh Party, I hope they can make Aceh prosperous," said Ruslan, 30, a street food vendor. "I don't trust national parties."

But Marwan Hanafi, a 50-year-old driver, said he would give his vote to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party.

"What has the Aceh Party given us? If they can give us clothes and food, we will vote for them," he said.

Tensions have risen in Aceh following the killings of six Aceh Party members in the past two months and a series of attacks since last year targeting the party's offices.

It is still unknown who was behind these attacks but the events sparked fears of further violence that could derail the peace process.

"We are not accusing anyone. it's the job of the police to uphold the law," Muad said.

"We Acehnese are able to endure fighting in a time of war, but we are also capable of maintaining peace in a time of peace," he said.

A new report by the World Bank's Conflict and Development Program said 16 people were killed, 47 were injured and 17 buildings or vehicles were damaged in violence in a three-month period to the end of February.

However, the report said it remained unclear whether the violence was politically motivated.

The International Crisis Group think tank said in a report released on March 23 that the violence was unlikely to escalate out of control in the short term, and the likelihood of a return to armed conflict was even more remote.

The report said there was "the mutual fear and loathing" between GAM and the Indonesian military, with many in the army convinced that GAM is still committed to an independent Aceh and has only changed its tactics.

Former rebels, on the other hand, encourage the perception that all attacks on its members or offices are somehow linked to the military, even though many attacks over the past three years had been the result of internal conflict, the Crisis Group said.

Aceh Deputy Governor Muhammad Nazar, a former independence supporter, told dpa that the killings were not linked to politics and expressed confidence that the peace process would not be harmed by the attacks.

"I believe the Acehnese will choose peace over violence, hope over fears," said Nazar.

Aguswandi, a British-educated former rights activist who now heads the Aceh People's Party, said the biggest danger to peace was poverty and unemployment, especially as international donors involved in post-tsunami reconstruction are pulling out.

"Thousands of young people are jobless and Aceh has just recently emerged from conflict. I think it's very dangerous if young people don't have economic hope," said Aguswandi, whose party is expected to do well among urban and educated voters.

Aguswandi said recent attacks stemmed from suspicions that local parties have a hidden agenda but did not believe there was a military policy to undermine the elections.

"There are those who believe that local parties still harbour the desire for independence or a referendum. I think such suspicion is unfounded, but it exists," he said.

He said a visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Aceh in February was useful to defuse tension but more talks were needed to build more trust.

"I think the president sent a very clear message to the military and everybody that he wanted the peace process to be respected," he said. (dpa)

General: 
Regions: