WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Carl Sullivan
Newsweek
Updated: 7:02 p.m. ET
Dec. 29, 2004
Dec. 29 - Many of the
areas hit by Sunday�s devastating earthquake off the coast of Indonesia
and the resulting tsunamis are home not only to some of the poorest people
in the world, but also to various rebel movements. Bearing the brunt of
the ocean onslaught was Aceh, a province on the northern tip of
Indonesia�s Sumatra island where an independence movement has operated for
decades. The official death tally for Indonesia stood at 45,268 on
Wednesday afternoon, with most of those deaths coming from Banda Aceh.
Officials expect the final toll to be much higher. David Phillips, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign
Relations and an expert on Indonesia, was in the provincial capital,
Aceh, one year ago. Reports suggest that 80 percent of that city of
400,000 has been destroyed, and the western coast of the province south of
the capital is reportedly decimated. Phillips spoke with NEWSWEEK�s Carl
Sullivan about how the devastation will impact the insurgency and how the
conflict could play into the massive relief effort needed.
Excerpts:
![David Phillips]()
NEWSWEEK: What was the situation
in Aceh before this disaster hit?
David Phillips: The Free Aceh
Movement has been waging an insurgency against the government in Indonesia
for decades. They are seeking independence. Because they have not made any
progress with their independence demands,
David Phillips
they have refocused on extensive autonomy
arrangements within Indonesia. Over the past three to four years, there
have been a series of humanitarian pauses [in the conflict] and
negotiations that have not gone anywhere. A year and a half ago, the
government of Indonesia responded by imposing martial law and increasing
the pressure on Acehnese that support the Free Aceh Movement. That hasn�t
had a positive effect on the security situation, nor has it brought
Acehnese rebels to the negotiating table.
Is there a religious component to this conflict?
The
Acehnese are Muslims, but this is not a religious-based conflict. In many
ways, it�s a resource-based conflict because Aceh is well endowed with oil
and gas and has proven to be a financial bonanza for the government of
Indonesia.
How long has the Free Aceh Movement been going on?
When
Indonesia achieved its independence from the Dutch [in 1949], the Acehnese
sought special status and refused to accept that the province of Aceh was
part of the new republic of Indonesia. But the independence movement goes
back several centuries to the Sultan of Aceh and the unwillingness of the
Sultan and the Acehnese to submit to Dutch
rule.
How many Indonesian soldiers are in the
region?
I was in Banda Aceh about a year and
a half ago and it was clear that an extensive military presence had been
deployed. This was prior to the imposition of martial law. I would guess
that there are tens of thousands of soldiers there.
And how large is the independence movement?
You�re
talking about small bands of militia fighters living in the jungle. The
heavy-handed tactics of the government of Indonesia have polarized the
population of Aceh and created fertile ground for support to the Free Aceh
Movement. There are about 4 million Acehnese
total.
Have you had any contact
with anyone in that area since the tsunami?
I�ve had contact
with Acehnese, but it�s not possible to connect directly with people in
Aceh. All the communications infrastructure has been destroyed. I�m
hearing about total devastation and complaints from Acehnese about
bureaucratic obstacles imposed by the government of Indonesia to U.N.,
international and geo-relief operations.
How will the rebel fighters play into this?
I don�t think
that there�s an independence battle going on during this catastrophe. The
Free Aceh Movement has been devastated by this event, just like the
balance of the Acehnese population. To my understanding, there�s nobody
trying to take advantage of this to seize the independence
mantle.
Sumber : 2004 Newsweek,
Inc.
