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ust like any mother, 60-year-old Maryani (not her real name) hoped that the ties binding her three beloved sons would always be strong after their suffering during decades of war in Aceh.

“I want them to stay close as brothers, helping each other. But I think it will be difficult now because they have different points of view on the upcoming gubernatorial election,” Maryani, a resident of Pidie, said recently.

Her sons were fighters of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Pidie. They shared the same dream of freeing Aceh from Indonesia.

Her sons’ adherence to an illegal ideology caused a lot of trouble for Maryani. She had to visit the military post near her village to report their whereabouts. With three sons, she had to report to the post three times a week.

Maryani’s house was prioritized in raids when troops received information about GAM activity in the village. They would stay around her house for hours. She was terrified despite protective efforts by her sons and other village residents.

In fact, she rarely saw her boys because they moved from place to place with the GAM camps. They just sent her information through a villager when they needed logistical support. Maryani would cook wajik (sweet glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk and sugar), a high-energy, long-lasting food for when her sons had little else to eat.

Like millions of Acehnese, Maryani was therefore naturally delighted when the Indonesian government and GAM signed the peace accord in 2005. She could see her sons again and her family would be reunited. However, today her sons are divided into opposing political camps.

Maryani fears political divisions in the family could become worse, with friends of each son divided into the competing camps.

In the gubernatorial election slated for April 9, former GAM members have split into two parties. Those who support the Aceh Party have nominated former GAM foreign minister Zaini Abdullah and former GAM commander Muzakir Manaf as their candidates for governor and vice governor.

A second group comprises former GAM members who support former Aceh governor Irwandi Yusuf, a former GAM senior intelligence executive, for a second term.

Both groups play down the seriousness of the internal conflict. The democratic process in Aceh, as well as across Indonesia, is a painful lesson for everyone, especially when on the losing side in an election. Acehnese including former GAM members will eventually have to support one candidate over the other. The lesson is especially hard in families like Maryani’s.

“My older son supports Irwandi Yusuf as the governor, while my second son supports Zaini Abdullah,” she said. “Now, my youngest son is confused about which one he should support as he does not want to fall out with either brother.”

Maryani acknowledged that she never thought that the peace in Aceh would cause rifts in the family.

“This is difficult, and I feel more afraid now than when the military raided my home in the past,”
she added.

Iskandar, another former GAM member, also felt that the split was painful.

“We went through long, difficult and frightening times together. We gained our victory. But now we must divide over political interests,” Iskandar said, acknowledging the disappointment of most Acehnese citizens with the former freedom fighters.