Free Aceh Movement

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The Flag of the Free Aceh Movement
The Flag of the Free Aceh Movement

The Free Aceh Movement (Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or simply GAM), also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. The organisation surrendered its separatist intentions and dissoloved its armed wing following 2005 peace agreement with the Indonesian Government. The Indonesian government called the group the Aceh Security Disturbance Movement.

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[edit] Background

The conflict in Aceh stems from several major areas, historical mistreatment, control over Islamic law, the fair distribution of Aceh's natural resource wealth and the increase of the Javanese population within Aceh.

During the era of colonisation in the 1800’s, Aceh was the centre of resistance against Dutch colonial rule. The Acehnese resisted Dutch forces and they were one of the last Indonesian people to succumb to colonial rule.[1] When the Netherlands transferred sovereignty of their colonial territory, administration of Aceh was handed over to Indonesia without consultation with Acehnese authorities.[2][citation needed] Aceh used their strong nationalistic ideals under the leadership of Daud Beurueh to mount an armed rebellion that ended with Aceh being granted special status by President Sukarno. This special status gave Aceh control on religion, custom law and education. When President Suharto came to power he renounced Aceh’s special status and as a result GAM was created under the leadership of Hasan di Toro. On the 4th of December Hasan claimed Aceh independence. GAM's devout Muslim ideas aggravated military leaders who had considerable distrust for political Islamists.[3]

[edit] Guerrilla war

Main article: Insurgency in Aceh

At first the guerilla war of GAM was almost entirely unsuccessful, and the government appeared to have entirely neutralised the group by 1977[4]. The reason for this failure was a lack of popular support from both within Aceh and from international sources. President Suharto was favored by countries such as America due to his anti communist policies during the Cold War period.

The group renewed its activities in the 1980s, apparently with financial support from Libya and Iran, fielding around 3,500 soldiers. [5] This training from overseas meant that GAM soldiers were much more organised and better trained that the previous insurgency. To counter this new threat Aceh was declared an "area of special military operations" (Daerah Operasi Milita) or DOM in 1989. Special counter insurgency troops were sent in and Aceh was locked down. Villages that were suspected of harboring GAM operatives were burnt down and family members of suspected militants were kidnapped and tortured. Amnesty International called the military response "shock therapy" [6] and it is believed 7000 human rights abuses took place during DOM. GAM forces have also been suspected of Human Rights abuses. Extra judicial executions of suspected military informants and targeting of civilian infrastructure such as schools have both been attributed to GAM operations.

In 1996 the Indonesian government announced the end of GAM. The TNI (Tentara Nasional Indonesia) presence in the region was not greatly reduced and reports of arrests, torture, and extra-judicial killings continued. In 1999 a troop withdrawal was announced, but the military presence remains high and troop numbers are believed to have risen during the rule of Megawati Sukarnoputri to around 35,000 by mid-2002. Security crackdowns in 2001 and 2002 resulted in several thousand civilian deaths[7]. Through out the conflict an estimated 15,000 people have been killed. The government launched a big operation against the GAM in 2003.

[edit] Peace negotiations

The leaders of GAM, Hasan di Tiro, and his chief deputy, Zaini Abdullah, and Malik Mahmud have lived in exile in Stockholm, Sweden. The group's main Indonesian spokesman is Abdullah Syafei'i Dimatang. In the late 1990s GAM began peace talks with Jakarta, brokered by the Swedish government.

In 1999 it was reported that the group had split into two factions, ASNLF (representing the original group) and the Free Aceh Movement Government Council (MP-GAM). This has been denied by GAM spokespersons but widely reported by the Indonesian media.

In 2002-2004, the GAM was severely hit by a series of government offensives, in which the organisation lost approximately 50% of its members, including its commander Abdullah Syafei'i Dimatang who was killed in a military ambush on January 2002.

On Tuesday, 28 December 2004, in the aftermath of the devastation caused by a massive tsunami, GAM declared a ceasefire of hostilities to allow for aid to reach within the disputed area. In turn, the Indonesian government temporarily removed restrictions of northern Sumatra to allow for rescue efforts in that area.

Other Aceh separatist groups exist, and there is some tension between them and GAM over tactics and GAM's monopoly of negotiations with the government.

On 27 February 2005, the Free Aceh Movement and the delegation of the Indonesian government started another round of peace talks in Vantaa, Finland, moderated by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. On 16 July 2005, the Indonesian Minister of Communication and GAM announced a peace deal to end the thirty-year insurgency. The peace agreement was officially signed on 15 August by chief Indonesian negotiator Hamid Awaluddin and GAM leader Malik Mahmud.

Under the terms of the agreement, both sides agreed to cease all hostilities with immediate effect. GAM also agreed to disarm, while the Government pledged to withdraw all non-local military and police by the end of 2005. An Aceh Monitoring Mission will be set up by the EU and ASEAN to oversee the process of disarmament and the reintegration into society of GAM members[8]. A presidential decree granted amnesty to about five hundred former GAM members who were in exile in other countries, and unconditionally released about 1,400 members who had been jailed by the Government.

The Government agreed to facilitate the establishment of Aceh-based political parties; this had been one of the most contentious issues in previous negotiations. A "truth and reconciliation commission" will be organized. On the question of the uneven distribution of income, it was settled that seventy percent of the income from local natural resources will stay within Aceh.

On 27 December 2005, the leaders of the Free Aceh Movement announced that they had disbanded their military wing.[9] The action, which is to take effect immediately, follows from earlier peace talks and the destruction of 840 weapons by international observers, Free Aceh movement commander Sofyan Daud told reporters "The Aceh national army is now part of civil society, and will work to make the peace deal a success." [10]

During election of 11 December 2006, Free Aceh Movement temporarily split into two factions, each supporting its own candidate for governorship. One side, supported Zaini Abdullah's brother, and the other supported Irwandi Yusuf, former GAM negotiator. Irwandi Yusuf got more support from grass root level however, and won the election.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ross, M L 2003 Resources and Rebellion in Aceh Indonesia, UCLA United States
  2. ^ Ibid
  3. ^ Rabasa, A & Haseman, J 2002, The Military and Democracy in Indonesia: Challenges, Politics, and Power, Rand Corporation United States.
  4. ^ Schulze,K , 2003 The Free Aceh Movement (GAM): Anatomy of a Separatist Organization, East West Centre, Washington
  5. ^ Ross, M L 2003 Resources and Rebellion in Aceh Indonesia, UCLA United States
  6. ^ Shock Therapy” Restoring Order in Aceh, 1989-1993 (AI Index: ASA 21/07/93, July 1993
  7. ^ Barakat, S Connolly,D & Large,J Winning and Losing in Aceh: Five Key Dilemmas in Third-Party Intervention Frank Crass London
  8. ^ Billon, P, Waizenegger,Peace in the wake of disaster? Secessionist conflicts and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamiBlackwell Publishing A
  9. ^ http://www.unpo.org/news_detail.php?arg=05&par=3418
  10. ^ [1]

[edit] External links