Interview to Aguswandi (TAPOL’s Human Rights Activist) Pressure Is an Effective Means The island of Sumatra and the region of Aceh came to be known to the public because of the natural catastrophe which, at the end of 2004, killed thousands. In March another earthquake made Indonesia front-page news again. The imminence of another tsunami raised international indignation and terrorised residents. We asked ourselves if it would be humanly possible to survive so much suffering. In truth, for almost thirty years, these people have confronted death face-to-face. In Aceh, every day people die and are disappeared in the conflict between pro-independence rebels (GAM) and the government military forces. The conflict has brought the population economic misery, fear and systematic human rights violations. In December the whole world came to know one word: tsunami. A giant and destructive wave swallowed part of Indonesia’s territory and its people. But could it be that it also swallowed a decades-old political struggle that was marked by death? The tsunami would only aggravate the difficult conditions of residents of Aceh, stuck between the silence of terror, the tight margin for manoeuvring of international NGOs and the perseverance of activists that believe in change. Aguswandi is from Aceh, lives in England and is an active member of the organisations TAPOL and ACSI (Aceh Civil Society Institute). The role he plays outside the country is as important, or more so, than it is inside. He explains to the world what happens in Indonesia, and has done so for many years. At the root of the conflict is the demand for an identity that the GAM aims to gain through territorial independence. The rebel movement goes back to the 50s when Daud Bereueh, governor of the territory, revolted against the government and had the population of Aceh on his side. Aguswandi believes that peace is possible through a strong process involving the population and international pressure by the Jakarta government through NGOs, politicians, and civilians denouncing the violations committed against the population. In October 1994, invited by PBI Portugal, Aguswandi was in Portugal and participated in a conference at the Fundação Mário Soares, together with Ana Gomes, socialist member of the European Parliament, and Diana Mota, coordinator of PBI Portugal. Next is an interview made by Carla Isidoro, PBI Portugal, during his stay in Portugal. Interview What justifies the conflict in Aceh? Aguswandi – Injustice. What is at the root of this injustice? – There are different manifestations of injustice. Cultural injustice is one. Residents of Aceh have not been respected in their totality, in their language, and other particularities. But doesn’t this problem also affect other regions? - Yes, but in Aceh there is a long history of a unique identity before the Portuguese or the Belgians came. Over time, the population of Aceh has demonstrated great determination and resistance, and this is one of the reasons why we are at war. However, there are also economic aspects behind the conflict; economic injustice. The economy in Aceh is not balanced, the distribution of natural resources is uneven. Although the region is extremely rich, the people live in great poverty. Who exploits the national resources? – Oil is exploited by Exxon Mobil and other companies exploit the remaining resources, under regulations by the government. They are, in the majority, foreign companies that do this through partnerships with the government. Other injustices include political injustice. The Jakarta government is centralising, it tries to control everything. Indonesia is made up of hundreds of islands. What answer could there be for the non-centralisation of power? – They try to exercise control over all the regions, but this process is wrong. The question here is that the multi-ethnicity of the Indonesian society has not been understood as something that is positive and good, but as a threat to national unity that should be fought. The concept of national unity for Jakarta is tied to a lack of respect for regional and cultural differences. One identity, one nation – and the identify they defend is expressly Javanese. This conflict, like others, involves two sides and both are implicated in deaths and other human rights violations. – The GAMs fight for the independence of Aceh and they are from Aceh. It is common to have someone in the family or a neighbour who is a member of GAM. The military forces are sent by Java, they are outsiders. I don’t want to defend the rebel movement but, I believe that the scale of human rights violations by the military is far higher. There are no cases of women being raped, for example, by men of the GAM. Who funds the rebel movement? – I don’t know. The leader of the movement has lived in exile in Sweden for many years, maybe he is funding it. But they also ask the population to give them money. Stories of extortion by GAM members are well-known. – There are two situations. There are really people who support GAM and there are others who suffer extortion. What motivations lead young men to enter the movement? – There are many. But several members were victims of human rights violations inflicted by the military; their mother or brother was killed, and now they want revenge. How many people disappear or die each year? - Nearly 15 each day. What led to greater involvement with the cause? - I came to be known while I was the spokesman of the organisation SMUR. I was invited to many seminars in Aceh and throughout Indonesia, even in the United States. At this time I was a student. Then I finished my course and started at a human rights NGO that is very well known in Indonesia, KontraS. I was elected co-ordinator. As I became increasingly involved, I came under threat, I was blackmailed, I was nearly captured. But then again, these things also happened when I was a student… Have you ever been so afraid you’ve thought of giving up? - There were times when I was very afraid, but luckily I have good friends who helped me and protected me. Was your family also threatened? - No, only I and my friends were involved. Some disappeared. At this time, in 1999, you headed up a boycott against the parliamentary elections. Did the population support this? - There was a lot of support. 70% of the population did not vote, and many of those who did vote did so under military pressure. We were against the elections because there had been a lot of military oppression in Aceh, we were at war. Under these conditions we did not feel we were not able to participate in elections. Are people for independence or for autonomy of the territory? - For justice. I would say they don’t particularly defend either situation. More important is to focus on the process by which we get there. Aceh could have a disastrous independence if the process is conducted in the wrong way. And what is the correct process? It is that in which all the people of Aceh participate and decide the best solution for themselves, without impositions. The organisation KontraS works based on proof and evidence of military violence. How do you do it? - We have volunteers who monitor the territory, talk to people, and collect data. But not all the victims feel confident about speaking. Can you get reliable numbers on deaths, disappearances and torture under these conditions? - Yes we are able to have a clear picture of reality. Do the other regions know the reality of Aceh? Do they know what is happening there? - No, they don’t know all of it, but they have an idea about what is happening. In your last debate in Lisbon, moderated by the NGO Peace Brigades International, you said that people underestimated what happened in Aceh. Who were you criticising there? - There are always things that we can do. We can write a letter to the Indonesian embassy, a letter to raise awareness in the Portuguese government and ask that they intervene, or members of Parliament. We can write to Ana Gomes to put pressure on the Indonesian government. There are small actions but they are very important – much better than doing nothing. Pressure is an effective means; it produces results. You accused the English government of providing arms and war materials to the Indonesian army, but you lost the case. - I was not able to prove the link, even though it was quite clear. That is, the government of Indonesian itself says it uses weapons from the United Kingdom in the Aceh region. This is true; we said it publicly in official declarations. We could prove that the arms exist in Aceh, but we could not prove that they had been used. We have pictures of these weapons, but we do not have pictures of them being used by the military. It was not sufficient proof for a court of law. It is the oil business that pays for the weapons? - It is the west, the loans that are provided for the development of the country. Oil is also behind this involvement, but external financiers have a smaller role. What suggestions do you have for the peace process? - There must be a significant involvement of the people of Aceh in the process. With the military torturing the population it will be difficult for them to be involved. - The first step is to stop the military oppression and come to a cease-fire with GAM. It is here that international pressure, organised movements and influential people, such as Ana Gomes for example, are important.