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The Assessment
Report in Aceh: The Role of Civil Society in
Conflict Transformation
Visit conducted 3-9 September 2002 by Lukman Age (Exchange
Programme Researcher) and Dr Kamarulzaman Askandar (USM
and SEACSN Regional Coordinator)
Introduction
The aim of the assessment exercise in Aceh was to obtain
input from the various civil societies regarding their
roles in the conflict transformation of Aceh. The activities
included were the identification of the last conflict
situation, the potential for development of the conflict,
the potential for peace as worked by civil society elements,
and the empowerment of the civil society for transformation
of the conflict.
To realise the aim of the exercise, the assessment of
the activities was undertaken through in-depth interviews
and discussion with the civil elements of Aceh. Participants
were from Sentral Informasi Referendum Aceh (SIRA), Gerakan
Aceh Merdeka (GAM), Koalisi NGOs Hak Azazi Manusia (HAM),
Majelis Permusyawaratan Ulama (MPU) Aceh, Forum Peduli
Hak Azazi Manusia (FP HAM) Aceh, academicians of Institut
Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Ar-raniry, and students from
Front Perlawanan Demokratik Rakyat Aceh (FPDRA) and Solidaritas
Mahasiswa untuk Rakyat (SMUR).
Activity and Outcomes
The assessment activity was undertaken through interview
and discussion with many parties. The results are as
follows:
Sentral Informasi Referendum Aceh (SIRA)
For SIRA, referendum is a nonviolent alternative to democracy
because the dialogue way, nowadays, is not perceived
to be effective and causes the trust of the Acehnese
to be lessened. In addition, the human violations by
TNI and the counter attack by GAM cannot guarantee good
social and economic lives in Aceh. SIRA refuses to participate
in combatant violent action of either GAM or TNI. SIRA’s
approach has been to use both national and international
networks, to highlight the issues regarding the conflict.
SIRA’s expectations of the international community
are: (1) to continue the dialogue, (2) to hold a referendum
about self-determination. SIRA realizes that the international
community has indirect participation in Aceh, through,
the involvement of capitalism or the military. International
pressure, especially by USA on the Indonesian government
is perceived to be weakening as they seek to preserve
their own economic and political interests.
SIRA plans to mobilize the mass and make an issue of
holding the referendum. It then plans to campaign and
advocate that the Aceh conflict case is referred to UNO
and the Human Rights Commission. These are regarded as
neutral parties that can functioned as a third party
at the international level. To represent the conflict
at an international level, SIRA has chosen Sydney Jones
from Amnesty International, Mary Anderson from the Human
Rights Commission of UNO, ICG, and Asia Forum. At a national
level, SIRA has chosen PBHI, Kontras, and Solidamor.
Koalisi NGOs Hak Azazi Manusia HAM (The NGOs Coalition
of Human Right)
The activities undertaken by Koalisi NGOs HAM
are aimed at establishing the participation of citizens,
including students, as pioneers of the civil society
movement and thus demilitarize the arena of conflict
as actioned by GAM.
In the future, one of the important issues of empowering
civil society is explicating their identity and doing
nonviolent action. At the beginning of the humanitarian
rest, the civil position was not obvious yet. On the
contrary, now, the position is more obviously, for example,
TIFA has presented Aceh NGOs and the conference of Aceh
community in USA has presented GAM, RI, and the civil
components. From these meetings Civilian Task Force is
established to consolidate the elements of civil society.
NGOs see that conflict resolution is a new stage within
the conflict management process. There still remains
a question though: which stage of the conflict is considered
as the focus? Before humanitarian rest, NGOs’ activities
focused more on advocacy. Now, they are participating
in the conflict resolution. However, the role of the
civil society is merely marginal. They are merely considered
as the generator that is very difficult to act.
The remaining issues for the civil society are the understanding
of NGOs’ movement of orientation; the effort to
skim a judgment as GAM branch; the public sphere covered
by the combatant groups; the conflict resolution in the
peace action; and the rising of the civil society’s
participation and de-militarism.
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