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Red-white flags adorn Banda Aceh
Red and white flags decorated buildings, homes and vehicles in Banda Aceh during Saturday’s celebration of the four-year historic peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)
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ed and white flags decorated buildings, homes and vehicles in Banda Aceh during Saturday’s celebration of the four-year historic peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
The anniversary of the memorandum of understanding signed in Helsinki, Finland on Aug. 15, 2005, fell just two days ahead of the country’s national Independence Day
on Monday.
Thousands of Acehnese took to the streets around the Baiturrahman Mosque with red and white flags, many flocking from outside the capital, reported Antara news agency. Vendors were selling more than 30 flags each day leading up to the celebrations and the number of flag sellers has increased from last year, reported Antara.
In the past, red and white flags were common in Aceh ahead of the country’s independence celebrations every Aug. 17, but the strong presence of Indonesian security forces made people fearful of displaying the national flag. Fear of the GAM was also blamed for people’s reluctance to sing the national anthem “Indonesia Raya” in rebel strongholds.
Zakaria, from Bireun, traveled 105 miles to reach Banda Aceh and attend the celebration.
“The peaceful feeling among Acehnese people is strengthened after the signing of the MoU. Now
the security condition is wonderful,” he said.
“We no longer worry every time we go to the fields,” said Tengku Saiful, 60, from Montasik, 30 kilometers south of Banda Aceh.
“In the last four years, Aceh has been really free from the whizzing of bullets,” he said.
Hindon Yusnita, a 45-year-old woman, said she can now sell her betel nuts in the city market at night.
“These days it’s no longer a problem. The peaceful feeling is getting stronger and the trauma over the conflict is slowly decreasing,” she said.
In the July presidential election President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gained an overwhelming 93.99 percent of votes in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province, which many attribute to his image as the figure most responsible for the peace following four decades of war.
Sandino, the chairman of the Acehnese Ethnic Groups Association, said the peaceful conditions in Aceh have helped the reconstruction process in the province after the 2004 tsunami.
“The peace [agreement] has further encouraged our brothers and sisters in other regions and countries to help us and we are grateful for that,” he told attendants of a gathering.
However, Nasir Jamil, a legislator from Aceh, reminded the government to speedup the reintegration and employment of former rebels and rehabilitate the economy for thousands of victims of the conflict.
Unemployment of the former militia and victims left without a livelihood has been cited as possible future source of unrest. Aceh was the worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami, adding to the thousands of people afflicted by the internal war. (mrs)
