Seminar ini sangat menarik. Kita akan mempunyai gambaran lebih terang mengenai
faktor-faktor integrasi (sekaligus juga disintegrasi) Indonesia. Ada
perspektif baru di situ. Pasalnya, seminar ini dilakukan di zaman reformasi
(R-- dengan huruf besar) dan tatkala pusat makin kedodoran menampung aspirasi
daerah-daerah.
Bagi Anda yang orang Ambon, Timtim, Irja, Lampung, Riau, Sambas-- seminar ini
bakal memberi pelajaran penting. Mari kita kenali persoalan kita secara lebih
dekat, terang, detil dan hati yang senantiasa bening.
Oleh sebab itulah saya meyakinkan diri untuk datang dan mendengarkan seminar
penting tersebut. Sampai jumpa di ruang seminar. Sebelumnya, silahkan dibaca
detil undangan seminar Aceh di bawah ini:
salam,
ramadhan pohan
(seorang pejalan)
######
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 18:16:08 EST
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: International Forum for Aceh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Invitation April 3,
1999: The Future Integration of Indonesia: Focus on Aceh
Dear Sir/Madam
International Forum For Aceh will convene a conference about Indonesia on
Sarurday April 3, 1999, on the campus of The American University. The theme of
this conference is:
The Future Integration of Indonesia: Focus on Aceh
Butler Board Room 6th floor. Butler Pavilion, The American University
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW . Washington, D.C. 20016 USA
SATURDAY -- APRIL 3, 1999, TIME: 10.00 AM- 5.00 PM
The focus of discussion is to be a positive 'resource-based' approach
dialogue for justice in Indonesia and will be the initial steps to bring
Indonesian government, the Aceh / Sumatra Liberation Front and human rights
group to work out a peaceful solution and avoid futher conflicts. Attached is
the proposal to help you understand better the proposed conference.
This letter extends to invite you to come and to offer, share contribution
for peace in Indonesia in this conference. If you wish to attend, please
respond by phone, e-mail or fax to confirm your presence.
Attached is the proposal to understand further about the seminar.
We look forward to your presence.
Sincerely Yours,
Coordinators
Suraiya IT (Vice Chairman of IFA) & Iskandar Bakri (Washington, D.C.)
703.820.2214 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://aceh.org/forum
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THE FUTURE INTEGRATION OF INDONESIA: FOCUS ON ACEH
Proposed place:
Butler Board Room 6th floor. Butler Pavilion, The American University 4400
Massachusetts Avenue, NW . Washington, D.C. 20016 USA Date: SATURDAY -- APRIL
3, 1999, TIME: 10.00 AM- 5.00 PM
I. CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS
International Forum for Aceh (IFA) is the organizer for the conference.
International Forum For Aceh was declared at the request of participants of
International Conference on Aceh held in New York University on December 12,
1998 titled "Years of Living Dangerously: The Struggle for Justice in Aceh,
Indonesia Beyond Soeharto". The conference was sponsored by Aceh Forum of New
York and Asian/Pacific / American Studies Program & Institute, New York
University.
II. OBJECTIVE
The conference provides an open forum in addressing the Acehnese request for
full autonomy, referendum or independence from Indonesia. It will cover
theoretical, legal and practical questions of the dialogue for justice in
Indonesia. The dialog will be addressed from diverse perspectives. Those
perspective will be from Indonesian government officials, Indonesian military,
opposition group, politician, religious scholars, UNCHR officials, legal
scholars, students and the Acehnese and Indonesian communities in the United
States. The main focus for this conference will be the initial steps to bring
Indonesian government, Armed Forces and the opposition to work out a peaceful
solution to the conflict.
II. CONFERENCE PANELS
Panel I: State and Civil Society in Indonesia & Historical Perspective of
Integration
10.00AM - 12.30PM
Proposed Speakers
Lieutenant General Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Head of Staff Territorial
Indonesian Armed Forces)
Prof. Dr. Syamsuddin Mahmud (Governor of Special Territory of Aceh Province)
Dr. Dorojatun Kuntorojakti (Indonesian Ambassador to the United States)
DR. Tgk Hasan Muhamad di Tiro (Aceh / Sumatra National Liberation Front)
T. Kumar (Amnesty International, Advocacy Director Asia Pacific)
12.30 - 1.00 Break and Lunch 1:00 - 3:00PM
DR. Ibrahim Alfian (Professor of Gajah Mada University)
Prof. DR. Ryaas Rasyid (Director General for Regional Autonomy)
Abubakar Hashim (Association of Acehnese in Malaysia)
Sidney Jones (Executive Director, Human Rights Watch Asian Division)
Drs. Ghazali Abbas (Members of Indonesian Parliament from Aceh)
3.00 - 3.15PM Break
Panel II: Human Rights Perspective in Indonesian
3.30 - 4:50PM
Proposed Speakers
Drs. Hasballah MS (Secretary General, Commission for Human Rights for Aceh)
Dr. Husaini Hasan (Acheh Sumatra National Liberation Front)
Jana Mason (United States Committee for Refugee)
Hamdiah A.Latief (McGill University, Canada)
DR. Jacqueline Siapno (University of California-Irvine)
5:00PM Summary & Closing Remarks
IV. ANALYSIS
Indonesia, an archipelago, is the world's fourth most populous nation. It
consists of more than 13,000 islands, of which 3,000 are inhabited. With 360
tribal and ethno-linguistic groups and more than 250 different languages and
dialects in Indonesia, the country is far from homogenous. Aceh, a special
territory of Indonesia, located on the western most tip of Indonesia, is
renowned for its prominent role in the struggle for its independence against
Dutch colonialism. The post-independence central government acknowledged these
contributions by granting Aceh status of "Special Territory" with autonomy in
matters of religion, education and social customs.
In reality, however, Aceh was never permitted to exercise its autonomy,
therefore the majority of Acehnese do not benefit and have not become
integrated into the new nation-state. Aceh is one of the richest provinces in
Indonesia, providing central government substantial revenues from its oil,
natural gas, and other resources. From its oil and gas resources, Aceh was
able to lift Indonesia out of poverty in 1970s. In spite of its major
contributions, Aceh is still one of the poorest and underdeveloped provinces
in Indonesia with a high number of villages living below poverty level.
This stark economic inequality, among many other factors, is one of the roots
of the struggle for independence. Aceh / Sumatra National Liberation Front
(ASNLF) lead by Dr. Teungku Hasan M. Tiro declared Aceh as an independent
state in 1976. The ASNLF was crushed by the Indonesian army (ABRI) years
later. But the ASNLF revived again in 1989.
Instead of working to ameliorate socio-political and economic conflict through
open dialogue, the central government mobilized the military to
institutionalize state violence and counter-insurgency against suspected
members of the independence movement. From 1989 to August 1998, Indonesian
second President, Soeharto, designated Aceh as Military Operational Area
(DOM), nominally to rid the province of the armed Free Aceh Movement (GAM /
ASNLF). During that period, thousand of Acehnese civilians were killed,
raped, tortured and left orphaned.
During "Reformasi" (Reformation era) and after the fall of Suharto, the people
of Aceh found the courage to come forward and bring the years of terror and
brutality to the attention of the national and international communities. And
some villagers are suing Mobil Oil Corp. for allowing the Indonesian Military
to use its base to held civilians.
Commander-in-Chief of the Indonesian armed forces, General Wiranto, announced
on August 8, 1998 that DOM would be lifted and "non-organic" troops withdrawn
from Aceh . However, the violence against civilians still continue to this
day. Recently, the U.S Ambassador to Indonesia, J. Stapelton Roy and his team
went to Aceh on a fact finding mission to see the reality on the ground. (Feb
17 -18, 1999)
Government-appointed Commission on Human rights, after its investigations in
Aceh, recommended that the military be disciplined and made accountable for
its heinous crimes. It also recommended the re-examination and revision of
military law and the function of the military accordance with recent political
developments, in particular in terms of "Special Operation." The continuation
of violence against civilians have increases new recruits and sympathy for
ASNLF among the population.
Given Indonesian's current problems and social tension in Aceh, a new
perspective in the troubled territory has emerged. The majority of Acehnese
are rather inclined to persuade full autonomy or referendum than ever before.
Some are openly calling for independence from Indonesia and majority of
Acehnese students declared referendum as in East Timor as the solution.
This new perspective demands serious attention from different factions, such
as the government, opposition, ulama and intellectuals, to mutually seek
doable and peaceful solutions.
Base on the problems above, we propose to organize an international conference
titled "The Future Integration of Indonesia: Focus on Aceh".
