Finnish observers to be first into Aceh to monitor peace

Separatists and Indonesian government sign peace treaty today

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A group of Finns are the first of a group of international observers of the peace treaty between the Indonesian government and the separatist movement in the province of Aceh. The 12 Finnish observers arrived in the province on Friday. The treaty was signed in Finland on Monday.
      The European Union and five Asian countries are sending a total of 220 civilian observers to Aceh.
      A number of the Finns have moved on to more remote areas to set up offices and to take care of other practical preparations.
      "We take an optimistic view of our mission. We believe that both sides will be committed to the treaty", says EU observer Ilkka Pohjalainen in Banda Aceh.
     
The mission of the foreign observers will be to monitor compliance with the peace treaty, and to report on violations.
      Under the treaty, which was signed in Vantaa today by Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Aceh province is granted an autonomous position as a part of Indonesia.
      In recent days there has been a strong presence of police and military forces in cities, villages, and roads in Aceh.
     
Armed clashes have not ended in spite of the peace process, and the observers face a challenging mission.
      GAM has accused Indonesian government forces of firing weapons in the village of Meunasah Pante on Sunday. There were no casualties, but GAM says that the soldiers arrested three villagers.
      An Indonesian army spokesman was unable to confirm the event on Sunday evening, but said that it could have been a provocation.
      Under the peace treaty, GAM must give up its weapons by the end of the year. However, GAM spokesman Jamaica Tengku said by phone that his organisation would not disarm before the Indonesian army and police pull out of Aceh.
     
The presence of international observers is seen by Professor Yusny Saby of the Islamic University of Banda Aceh, as a key difference between the present peace effort and all previous ones. Saby had served as an expert in an earlier peace process.
      Professor Saby said that the personal prestige of former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and the EU and ASEAN observers mean that the situation is different. Another important factor is the commitment of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the effort.
     
The current peace moves began after the tsunami in late December had destroyed 700 kilometres of coastline in Aceh Province and killed at least 130,000 people. Before the tsunami, Aceh was under a state of emergency and was almost completely isolated from the rest of the world.
      Now about 2,500 foreigners are working in the province in projects run by international aid agencies.
      "Peace in Aceh would be a great help for reconstruction. Failure would hurt it tremendously", says Oliver Lacey-Hall, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which is coordinating the aid effort in the province.
     
The approximately 35 Finnish observers represent various fields of expertise from disarmament to health care. Finland has also offered to take part in the training of observers.
      A key part of the operation will be the disarmament of the GAM guerrillas and the monitoring of the withdrawal of Indonesian forces. The observers will also take a key role in helping with matters involving the rule of law, human rights, administration, and police matters.
      Responsible for matters of disarmament will be Brigadier-General Jaakko Oksanen, commander of the Military District of Finnish Lapland, who flies to Banda Aceh on Monday.
      Oksanen sees his coming mission as challenging, but takes a cautiously optimistic view of the possibilities for success.
      "I expect both sides to be committed to the peace treaty. We have no means of coercion", Oksanen says.
      He says that the actual disarmament will be carried out by mobile units, which will collect weapons in different parts of the province.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Latest round of Aceh peace talks concludes in Finland on optimistic note (1.6.2005)
  EU takes part in Aceh peace negotiations (31.5.2005)
  Corruption and fighting overshadow Aceh peace talks (27.5.2005)
  "Breakthrough" reported in Aceh talks as discussions move on to "very important issues" (18.4.2004)

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