The Wire

Overnight a peace deal was signed hoping to end decades of civil war in the Indonesian province of Aceh. Rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (or GAM) had been fighting a campaign for independence from Indonesia for the last thirty years until delicate peace negotiations saw them settle for special autonomy. The deals means Aceh remains part of Indonesia but will elect an autonomous government with wide ranging powers not granted to other areas of Indonesia. Aceh is already the only province to operate under the muslim law of Sharia. GAM rebels will be granted an immediate amnesty and a truth and reconciliation commission will be established to examine human rights abuses mirroring the process followed in Timor Leste. But the agreement needs to be seen in the context of recent history. In 2002 a similar peace agreement fell through which led to widespread violence, the declaration of martial law and a massive military campaign by the Indonesian military. Even the allocation of aid to tsunami victims was a cause for conflict with both sides accusing the other of using it for the exploitation of locals and military advantage. I spoke to Dr Ed Aspinall, Researcher at the School of Pacific and Asian Studies at Australian National University about the peace agreement. Dr Aspinall has been refused entry to Indonesia because of his views on Indonesian politics and is in the process of negotiating with the Indonesian government for his return to the country. Here are his thoughts on whether the peace agreement will last.