The conflict has had a significant impact on human security in Aceh: human rights, health, education, the environment, and labor opportunities have all suffered.
Human Rights
During the conflict in Aceh, both GAM and Indonesian security forces have committed innumerable human rights violations. It has frequently been difficult to discover which side is responsible for crimes committed because Indonesian security forces do not always wear uniforms and because each side blames the other for virtually every incident. Restrictions on access imposed in 2003 have made independent verification of these claims even more difficult.
Kidnappings, often referred to as “disappearances” (because in many cases the victims are never seen again), and extrajudicial executions have been committed by both military/security forces and GAM. These operations are undertaken by security forces presumably to punish those involved with GAM and to deter others from supporting the rebel movement. In certain cases the military has burned entire villages, collectively punishing whole communities for the suspected collaboration of some inhabitants. Similarly, there are accounts of GAM punishing those suspected of aiding the military. There have been fewer reports of GAM human right violations, although this is likely a function of a low reporting rate. GAM controls many of the villages in Aceh and victims and witnesses may be hesitant to report crimes out of fear of GAM retaliation.
Human rights activists have also been targets of violence. Kontras, a well-known Indonesian human rights organization, dispatched a fact-finding mission in July 2001. Both mission members were detained and tortured by Indonesian security forces before eventually being released. In August 2000, Jafar Siddiq Hamzah, a human rights activist cataloguing instances of human rights violations in Aceh disappeared from the streets of Medan in the province of North Sumatra. His body was found a month later, along with five others, on the outskirts of the city. There were signs that he had been tortured. Humanitarian aid workers have also been victims of the violence, despite a commitment through the “Humanitarian Dialogue” agreement to protect them.
ExxonMobil Indonesia has also been accused of contributing to the abuses of human rights in Aceh. A case was filed in June 2001 by the Washington, D.C.-based International Labor Rights Fund on behalf of 11 John and Jane Does, charging ExxonMobil with complicity in widespread human rights violations. The allegations include knowledge by the corporation that members of the security forces that it partially pays to maintain have taken part in human rights abuses. Some have alleged that the military’s special unit, Kopassus, has conducted interrogations and torture in ExxonMobil-built military barracks. In 1998, human rights investigators discovered mass graves in North Aceh on the grounds of the P.T. Arun liquid natural gas refinery. Apparently these graves had been dug using company earth-moving equipment. In August of 2002, the United States government urged that the suit be dismissed, declaring that it could have negative repercussions on America’s “War on Terror.”
Freedom of expression, assembly and association have been denied or restricted to the civilian population during the course of the conflict. SIRA, a student-led, non-violent movement advocating a referendum for Aceh has been a victim of these restrictions in particular. In November 2000, the chairman of SIRA, Muhammad Nazar was arrested for “spreading hatred”, in violation of the Indonesian Criminal Code, for his activities during a pro-referendum rally in September. He was tried and convicted. Even SIRA activists outside of Aceh have not been able to evade prosecution: Faisal Saifuddin, head of SIRA”s Jakarta office, was convicted of committing “treasonous acts” in January 2002. Security forces allegedly have continuously targeted SIRA members and, as a result, its activities have been severely limited.
After President Megawati installed martial law on May 19, 2003, full-scale military operations were launched in the province, ending a six-month ceasefire. Human Rights Watch has documented specific abuses committed in the region by both the military and GAM, including: extrajudicial killings, school burnings, forced relocation of civilians, restriction of humanitarian assistance, intimidation and restrictions on NGOs, and press restrictions.
Internally Displaced Persons
Many individuals and families have fled their homes due to violence. Others have been forced to leave because of the physical destruction of their homes and villages. Increased military operations in June 2001 led to increased displacement, particularly in central Aceh where the operations were concentrated. Non-Acehnese who fled the area have mainly gone to Takengon (District Capital). The Acehnese who have fled the conflict have, for the most part, traveled to East Aceh. Reportedly in July 2001 thousands began to flee from Takengon due to security problems there.
The displacement problem has been aggravated by the inability of aid workers to reach those in need. Since the imposition of martial law on May 19, 2003, humanitarian access to the province has been severely restricted.
According to the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Global IDP Project, there were approximately 100,000 internally displaced persons in North Sumatra as of April 2003.
Health and Environment
Heavy corporate activity in the Lhokseumawe Industrial Zone (ZILS) has led to pollution that has degraded the quality of life of local inhabitants. Both PT Iskandar Muda fertilizer factory and Mobil Oil Indonesia (now known as ExxonMobil Indonesia) have been discovered dumping industrial waste into local waters. This has led to decreased fish harvests by local fishermen. Air pollution by fertilizer factories within the ZILS has created health concerns and reports indicate that the level of reported respiratory problems, particularly in children, has risen dramatically as a result.
Forest fires routinely afflict Sumatra and haze caused by smoke poses an air pollution hazard throughout the island. Sumatra is also situated on the edge of a tectonic plate and earthquakes are a regular occurrence. In June 2000 a series of earthquakes took place in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sumatra. The initial quake, which registered 7.9 on the Richter scale, and subsequent aftershocks, caused significant damage on the island, particularly in the city of Bengkulu.
Although the WHO had plans in August of 2003 to cooperate with the government in improving Aceh’s health system, the restrictions on humanitarian access mean that no WHO personnel are allowed in the province. Forced migration and the insecurity in the province contribute to the inadequacy of the health situation.
Education
The literacy rate in Aceh is high, at 91.4% for those 15 years and older. However, education in children has suffered as a result of the violence, particularly among the ranks of the displaced where only rudimentary programs have so far been established.
A World Food Program survey in June 2002 showed that no internally displaced children that were surveyed in North and West Aceh had access to education. Violence and insecurity continue to hamper education in general, and school burnings continue in 2003.
Unemployment
The conflict has exacerbated an already difficult economic situation. According to the International Crisis Group, local officials have cited an unemployment rate in Aceh of around 30%, particularly in the districts of Pidie, North Aceh and East Aceh. The agricultural sector in Aceh has also suffered, as farmers are afraid to go into their fields to work.
Corruption remains a critical challenge in the development of Indonesia’s economy in 2003. According to the World Bank, fighting corruption is a key element to improving poverty and attracting more foreign investment.
The World Bank also released a report in June of 2003 focusing on decentralization and urbanization, both of which have been major movements in the country.
For more information:
