ISTR Sixth International Conference Toronto, Canada / July 11-14, 2004 Contesting Citizenship and Civil Society in a Divided World

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	Abstracts

The war on Aceh and its implications for civil society in Indonesia
by
Julia Suryakusuma
Almanac of Indonesian Politics (API) Foundation

From the time of Indonesia's independence in 1945, Indonesia has had to deal with the tension of keeping its multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious nation united, while maintaining its diversity. This is symbolised in the national slogan, "Unity in Diversity". During most of the nation's existence, it has been more the former; in the Soeharto Era unity was imposed by ideological indoctrination, political engineering and military force.

The Reform Era, which started in 1998 with the ouster of Soeharto, provided an opportunity for Indonesia to undo the authoritarian legacy and to embark on a process of democratisation. Among some of the many conditions for a more democratic state were the eradication of corruption, demilitarisation, greater political openness, freedom of expression and decentralization, which resulted in the formation of many civil society groups/organizations. The year 1998 was Indonesia's Prague spring.

Although there is greater political awareness and freedom of expression, after five years of reformasi, the democratic reform process is largely deemed to be stagnant. It is true that Indonesians have had to deal with multidimensional problems inherited from past regimes, but the lack of consensus has led to confusion, chaos and opportunism where various groups whose aspirations were blocked during the Soeharto years are vying to pursue their narrow agendas at the expense of the national interest.

The current war on Aceh provides a useful case-study of the opportunistic machinations of the various political actors, political parties, the military, Islamic groups, and also the government. This sounds warning signals as to the future of Indonesia's democratisation, and indeed, the future of its civil society and to the delicate fabric that holds it together as a nation.

On May 19, 2003, the Indonesian government imposed a state of emergency in Aceh, the rebellious and resource-rich region at the northern tip of Sumatra Island. The conflict in Aceh is not defined as a civil war, but rather a military operation to crush insurgents that threaten the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). This measure was taken at a time when Indonesia could ill afford to do so, economically and otherwise.

President Megawati's popularity is experiencing a decline. The war on Aceh has been a means to both inspire nationalist sentiment and rally public support for the government. However, it is more than a distractionary measure. It gives Megawati a reason to court the support of the previously omnipresent military, whose socio-political and economic position had declined since the beginning of Reformasi. The effect is a disturbing return to the authoritarian ways of the Soeharto regime and the de facto reinstatement of the military in the structures of national power.

The paper discusses the implications of several measures taken in conjunction with the war, such as the curtailment of the press, the growth of a neo-fascist ideology, the use of militia to terrorize individuals or groups, the use of the "war on terrorism" as well as national integrity, the repression of regional aspirations, etc., on the nature of civil society and the scope and quality of its activities.

Date received: October 7, 2003

Copyright © 2003 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # camm-40.