(Adapted from HDC text)

The Centre facilitated (until 19 May, 2003) dialogue between representatives of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia (GoI) and the leadership of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), with the aim of reducing violence in the province. This is the Centre’s largest project.

The project began following an assessment between October and December 1999. The first objective was to reduce the humanitarian consequences of the conflict and lessen the chance of the conflict escalating. In January 2000, the Centre began activities to facilitate dialogue between the GoI and the GAM by convening leaders of both parties.

In May 2000, confidential talks in Switzerland led to the signing of a Joint Understanding for a three months Humanitarian Pause in Aceh. This was designed to provide for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the population of Aceh, security modalities for this aid, a reduction in the levels of violence and tension and the promotion of confidence-building measures.

The agreement came into effect on 2 June 2000. The GoI and GAM agreed to a Joint Forum, which would meet regularly to monitor and review the agreement. Each side also selected representatives from Aceh to form two committees to implement the agreement, one for Security Modalities (JCSM) and one for Humanitarian Action (JCHA).

Two independent monitoring teams (Humanitarian and Security) were formed to monitor compliance and violations of the agreement in Aceh. In December 2000, four District Monitoring Teams were also created to increase the monitoring capability and decentralise at least one aspect of the process.

In January 2001, representatives of both parties agreed to establish mechanisms for finding lasting solutions to the conflict. They put in place security arrangements to allow a moratorium on violence, meetings among field commanders, and the creation of a framework for a process of democratic consultations on political participation by the people of Aceh. The representatives agreed to establish a Joint Council, supported by the Centre, to review progress, address issues raised through the democratic consultation process and ensure adherence to agreements.

The first Joint Council met in February 2001. Both parties endorsed the agreements reached earlier between field commanders, recommended the extension of the mechanisms that had been put in place, and reaffirmed their commitment to preliminary consultations with the Acehnese people.

The Centre continued to facilitate initiatives in Aceh to advance the process of finding solutions to the conflict. Attempts were made to set up peace zones, initiate humanitarian projects for devastated communities, pursue democratic consultation processes and extend the monitoring teams’ activities to other districts.

The Centre brought both parties together for a second Joint Council about the status of President Wahid in Jakarta. At the meeting, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue but dissolved the Joint Committee for Humanitarian Action (JCHA) and suspended the Joint Committee for Security Modalities (JCSM). However, they did offer to support humanitarian projects, appoint a high-level contact for security issues, and set up a Steering Committee to advise the process on democratic consultations.

In July, despite meetings on the Joint Council directives the two parties were unable to reach
agreement on how to implement them. Local police had arrested six GAM members of the joint committees and monitoring teams, GAM Committee members and staff of the Centre were harassed and threatened by police, and provocative public statements were made, implying the end of the dialogue process. The Centre was concerned about the increasing violence in Aceh and the inability of both parties to implement and adhere to previous agreements, so it invited a group of international dignitaries to Geneva in July 2001 to act as its advisers.

Once Megawati Sukarnoputri had succeeded Abdurahman Wahid she made cabinet appointments that seemed favourable to the dialogue process. These new ministers and presidential advisers assured the Centre of the new Government’s commitment to the dialogue process.

In September, the leaders of the GAM agreed to the integration of the Centre’s international advisers into the dialogue process. More importantly, they also issued a public statement, which, for the first time, acknowledged that the new framework agreed in January would focus on ‘interim solutions’.

In Aceh, the Centre continued its work with members of the monitoring teams and representatives from civil society, local government, and non-governmental groups in Aceh. The people of Aceh called for a ceasefire and continuation of dialogue, but neither side had appointed representatives to the Steering Committee for Democratic Consultations or appointed contacts for security issues.

In February 2002, both parties agreed to engage in another round of talks in Switzerland. They outlined a timetable for future talks focusing on autonomy, a political dialogue and elections.

In May 2002, they met again in Switzerland for the second time in 4 months to discuss issues flagged for consultation in February. The outcome was a signed joint statement giving a clear mandate for future negotiations to focus on an all-inclusive dialogue process, using the Special Autonomy Law as a starting point, to review important issues concerning the Acehnese people arising from this law, and to work “with all speed” on an agreement on cessation of hostilities coupled with an effective monitoring mechanism.

In early December, more than 16 countries and five international agencies attended the “Preparatory Conference on Peace and Reconstruction in Aceh” in Tokyo, Japan, hosted by the Governments of the United States, Japan, the European Union and the World Bank. In attendance were delegates from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, European Union, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Participants expressed their support for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Aceh, and called on the GoI and the GAM to continue their ongoing dialogue with a view toward concluding an agreement on cessation of hostilities as soon as possible. Over 8 million US dollars were pledged to the Centre for the operation of the international monitoring mission.

Since the meeting in May, the Centre worked with both parties on a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COH) as the basis of a peace agreement for the province. On 9 December 2002, after months of bilateral negotiations with both parties on the COH and the international monitoring operation, the Centre brought the GoI and GAM to Geneva to sign the Agreement. The historic signing ceremony was attended by high-level delegations from both parties, representatives from Acehnese NGOs and members of the international community.

As in the 10 May 2002 Joint Statement, the Agreement commited both parties to using the Special Autonomy Law for Aceh as a starting point for an all-inclusive dialogue, which would eventually lead to the election of a democratic government in Aceh, Indonesia.

The Agreement also called for the creation of a tripartite (GoI, GAM, HDC) monitoring mission to oversee its implementation. This included the establishment of a Joint Security Committee (JSC) to monitor and maintain the security situation in Aceh through the placement of 144 monitors from the three sides. The HDC contingent of the JSC and the tripartite monitoring teams would be provided by officials from Thailand and the Philippines, among other countries. It was expected that the JSC and monitoring teams would be fully operational by January 2003.