Showdown in Aceh

THE Indonesian army’s full-scale offensive against the rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighting a guerilla war against Jakarta for 26 years, is not a good omen for Indonesia or the world at large. The oil-rich province of Aceh is home to some four-and-a-half million people, many with conservative Islamist leanings. The provincial administration, responding to the popular demand, enforced the Sharia last year but failed to rein in the separatists, who refused to disarm under a Japan-brokered peace deal with Jakarta in December last. The Indonesian army also refused to move back to peacetime positions, effectively stalling the implementation of the peace accord. President Megawati Sukarnoputri’s decision to resort to military action now is least likely to invite much foreign criticism, as she has linked the action in Aceh with her government’s intention to wipe out Islamist terrorists who last struck in Bali. Given America’s ‘war on terror’ and the obtaining global situation in its wake, this gives Ms Sukarnoputri and her generals just the right opportunity to quell the Aceh rebellion.

The rebels may have their own ideas about an Islamic system, but the lack of its enforcement under a largely secular Indonesian constitution is not their main grievance against Jakarta. The GAM-led insurgency began as a result of popular discontent over the Indonesian army’s abuse of power and what the rebels call the plunder of Aceh’s natural resources. A movement for a return to an independent Aceh headed by a sultan — Aceh used to be a sultanate in the 19th century — was thus born. Later on, the rebels unfolded a bizarre vision of a resurrected sultanate saying it would, over time, unite parts of Malaysia and Muslim-majority islands of the Philippines in a loose federation. This is an absurd idea in this day and age, and unlike East Timor, has little historical, legal or moral justification.

The Aceh rebels seemed to know as much but used the idea as a lever to gain greater political and financial autonomy. The peace deal hammered out in Tokyo last year, which promised the Acehnese 70 per cent of the revenue generated by the province’s rich oil and gas deposits as a major concession by Jakarta, was a proper accord. The stumbling block, however, remained a lack of confidence between the two sides. The peace accord fell through because neither side fulfilled its obligations, and because the chief Aceh leader, Mahmood Malik, continued to command the loyalty of guerillas from self-imposed exile in Sweden insisting that the Indonesian army must pull out before the rebels disarmed.

The best course for the Aceh rebels and Jakarta would be to call an immediate end to hostilities as a first confidence-building measure and give peace a fair chance. Indonesia is a democracy, and while remaining within the constitutional framework that calls for the country’s integrity, grievances can be addressed. A united Indonesia is in the best interest of all. The country has vast natural and human resources and a growing potential for becoming a model modern Muslim nation. As for the Acehnese people, they have had enough of being caught in the crossfire between the rebels and the security forces over the last 26 years. The on-going military action and the rebels’ threat of launching counter-attacks will only add to the misery of the Acehnese people.

Factional violence again

THREE persons have been killed in as many days in Karachi in incidents of political violence. On Tuesday, a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and his nephew were shot dead in Gulberg. On Sunday, an activist of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement was killed in Landhi in a shoot-out with the police. The police claimed that the Haqiqi “terrorists” had created tension by firing on a Muttahida MPA’s car and that this was done because the Muttahida had opened an office in Landhi. The Muttahida insists that the Haqiqi man was not killed in a clash with their workers and that he had died in the shoot-out with the police. Apparently, things seem to be hotting up because of the by-election next month. The Haqiqi alleges that the Muttahida has begun its campaign “under police protection” — a charge denied by the latter. Whatever the truth, it is the responsibility of the leaders on both sides to calm their workers, for it should be left to the police to investigate the murders, track the criminals down, and take them to court. It would be unfortunate if the two sides were to take the law into their own hands and thus destroy the city’s peace.

One would, however, expect the police to do their job impartially. The fact that the Muttahida is part of the ruling coalition should make no difference to the attitude of the police. They should be impartial and enforce law without fear or favour. In this respect, one notes with regret that the press release issued by the police department is highly one-sided and repeatedly refers to the workers of one of the factions as “terrorists.” This smacks of a partisan approach. The police should know that their job is to maintain law and order and act impartially in all cases.

Twin-city transport hiccups

FOR the second time in six months operators of wagons, mini-buses and Suzukis in the twin cities are up in arms against the transport authorities. The reason is that five more routes have been taken away from them and given exclusively to Varan Tours, a newly established bus company that is now the largest public transport company in the twin cities. The wagon, mini-bus and Suzukiwallas had risen up in protest late last year when the transport authorities gave Varan Tours the first exclusive route. Obviously, the transport authorities’ move will affect the livelihood of hundreds of these small transporters, unless they are given new routes in the twin cities. Two months ago, the Rawalpindi district nazim had announced a plan to start five new routes within the twin cities, covering especially those areas which have been devoid of any public transport service so far.

While one can understand the point of view of the small public transporters on this issue, it must be said that their service leaves a lot to be desired as far as comfort and reliability are concerned. Complaints about their rude and arrogant behaviour, their tendency to pick and choose passengers whom they would like to take on board and their tendency to drop off passengers wherever they feel like are plentiful. Varan Tours, on the other hand, have proven to be a public transport service comparable to that in any developed country. So their expanded presence in the twin cities would be a welcome thing for many commuters. The only problem is that since Varan Tours charges higher fares, this will hit those commuters for whom a few rupees means a world of difference. The other thing which commuters are wary of is that the monopoly of transport routes by one company will lead to fare increases at will and a gradual deterioration in the service in the absence of competition.