Ichsan Malik .
The peacebuilding process in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam had as its starting point the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki, on Aug. 15, 2005.
The agreement was later reinforced with the approval of Law 11/2006 on the governing of Aceh. Since then the thunderous sound of peacebuilding has been heard throughout Aceh, alongside the reconstruction of its tsunami-ravaged areas.
In 2009 peace in Aceh is again vulnerable due to the escalation of violence throughout 2008. The CEWERS (Conflict Early Warning Early Response System) team from the SERAP program, coordinated by the PASKA Aceh and CIDA-CCA, has conducted an analysis of events that occurred in all regions of Aceh from January to October 2008. Overall, teams recorded around 200 cases of violence, which could be categorized as sources of conflict in Aceh during 2008.
The high number of crimes using bombs and weapons, often resulting in deaths, could bring Aceh back into conflict and return the region to another vortex of violence.
One of the key agreements between RI and GAM was the destruction of weapons and about
800 weapons have been destroyed in accordance with the agreed amount. However, it is evident that, post-liquidation, there are still a lot of illegal weapons circulating in Aceh.
During 2008 there have been at least 33 recorded criminal cases involving firearms throughout several Aceh districts: Pidie, Nagan Raya, Meulaboh, Banda Aceh, Bener Meriah, Central Aceh, East Aceh, North Aceh, Lhokseumawe, Aceh Besar and Bireuen.
Armed crimes range from kidnapping for ransom to plain robbery and murder. Most of the incidents occurred between March and July 2008, perpetrated by former separatist combatants, member of the military or police, and a number of unknown assailants.
The table (below) shows the number of monthly crimes involving the use of firearms from February to October 2008.
From a total of 29 cases from March to July 2008, the majority of incidents occurred in East Aceh District, accounting for 34.25 percent of all cases, followed by Pidie and North Aceh (13.79 percent), Central Aceh, Aceh Tamiang and Bireuen (6.90 percent) and Banda Aceh, Bener Meriah and Nagan Raya (3.45 percent).
Management problems were identified as a structural factor for the causes of conflict.
Managerial problems included the misuse of monetary assistance allocated from nonbudgeted funds, the misuse of the government budget and the disruption of the external budget and monetary assistance.
Data collected from field studies and paper searches during January to October 2008 showed that the number of cases fluctuated from month to month; the escalation of conflicts started in March and culminated in June 2008.
Most of the conflicts arose from the diversion of the budget, followed by cases of misappropriation of aid, and lastly, from government budget misuse.
In the case of aid funds management, conflicts arose due to the sluggish distribution of aid and inaccurate data for aid distribution, and from mass demonstrations demanding the implementation of assistance. During January to October 2008, there were at least eight recorded cases of budget misuse in Aceh, most notable being the embezzlement of the remaining government budget. In addition, cases emerged of misappropriation of BRR funds, corrupt book procurement practices, diversion of funds and misuse of funds allocated
for diyat.
Criminal cases involving the use of firearms are clearly due to underlying structural problems, such as the economic crisis, injustice and the fact that many weapons are still circulating in Aceh.
In addition, BRA funds have not addressed the needs of the people for sustainable economic development in the region, for example, by assisting to create employment.
Combatants, noncombatants, victims and conflict-related communities must have their need for an income addressed. Furthermore, cases of kidnapping for ransom must be addressed from the perspective of the lack of any alternative source of livelihood.
Equally, robbery cases and similar incidents need to be seen as a wake-up call for the government and all concerned parties to increase employment and job opportunities for the community and to further develop and increase the local economy.
Firm action against users of firearms is the most effective way to reduce the escalation of firearms-related crime. Strong coordination between police and ex-combatants will also be effective to collect all post-conflict firearms.
Meanwhile, to stop the deliberate misuse of the budget, fast action and adequate preparation by law enforcement agencies are the best approach.
Currently, some efforts have been made but further attempts are required to stem the structural problems which could undermine the peacebuilding process.
In order to prevent conflict escalation due to poor management of funds in 2009, there are several further recommendations.
First, involve various stakeholders in order to make appropriate budget plans; second, develop a clear information system for all stakeholders; third, law enforcement agencies and officers should create a transparent process for the misuse of budget cases; fourth, require authorities who manage the budget to publish progress and final reports; and fifth, the local media should learn to write reports from the perspective of peace in Aceh.
The writer is the chairman of the Institut Titian Perdamaian.
= The jakarta post =
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