Profile of Aguswandi - Aceh Activists

Aguswandi - Personal profile

Born on August 17th 1977 at the village of Sibreh, in the District of Aceh Besar, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, Aguswandi is the second of 6 children of a farmer. Despite the rather unusual name for an Acehnese, both his parents are Acehnese (the name is in fact derived from the date of his birth that coincides with the Indonesian Independence Day).

Socially active since he was in secondary school, at 17 Aguswandi was elected president of the inter-secondary schools organization. He entered the tertiary education in 1995 by registering in the Law Faculty of the Syiah Kuala University of Banda Aceh, where he soon got involved in organizational activities. In 1998 he was elected Secretary General of the University Senate. In the same year he was also elected Coordinator of SMUR, one of the most active student organizations in Aceh struggling for democracy and human rights. Through this organization Aguswandi has been involved in many popular upheavals against the atrocities of the Indonesianmilitary. In fact, he had been very active even before the fall of the Suharto regime, fighting against the authoritarian, materialistic and oppressive government of the so-called ?New Order? government of the fallen General. He was one of the students who went on hunger strike to highlight the demand for the withdrawal of the ?Military Operation Zone? classification of Aceh, which was practically a martial law status that had resulted in thousands of innocent people being massacred by the Indonesian armed forces.

In 1998 he spearheaded with SMUR the campaign to boycott the Indonesian general elections, which the students felt as being incompatible with the condition in Aceh that was virtually under military rule. SMUR has also organized demonstrations against the military atrocities and was also one of the organizers of the very successful mass demonstration held on 11/8/99 that saw nearly half of the Acehnese population converging in a very disciplined, peaceful and orderly manner, to the capital of the province to show their unity in demanding a referendum to decide whether the province should remain as part of the Indonesian Republic or to be independent. Some 1.5 to 2 million people gathered on that historic day in Kutaraja (Banda Aceh) to proclaim the restoration of their dignity as a people. This organization has been very active also in the mass education of the Achenese people on their rights, and has established operational posts in villages to help the people traumatized by the Indonesian soldiers. SMUR was the first to establish ?command posts? in refugee camps that since six months ago have reached hundreds with the number of refugees reaching 200.000.

Aguswandi has been the object of several terror and intimidation measures by the Indonesian army. In fact, on May 18 1999 the military authorities issued an official statement declaring Aguswandi an enemy of the State, for which he responded in the front page banner of the SMUR?s bulletin, ?Lantak?: ?I am proud to be an enemy of the State, if helping the people is considered being an enemy of the State?. Following which, several death threats were sent to him and some military officers have even said it openly in public. A week before he left for the US last November the office of SMUR was firebombed.

Since Februari 2000 Aguswandi has been coordinating the Aceh office of the nation-wide Commission for Disapperances and Victims of Violence of Aceh (KontraS Aceh). KontraS Aceh is a non-governmental organization that works to campaigns to stop the state violence in Aceh. With hundreds of volunteers throughout Aceh, this organization conducts regular monitoring and documentation of human rights violations, as well as and advocacy for victims of human rights abuses in the province. In October 2000, KontraS Aceh worked together with various other civil groups in organizing Congress of Victims of Human Rights Violations in Aceh, which was attended by thousands of victims representing the different districts in Aceh. KontraS Aceh?s progress in documenting facts and figures of violence committed by the Indonesian military and police forces (TNI/POLRI) in Aceh has incited increasing threats to Aguswandi and KontraS Aceh volunteers throughout the province.

Although a humanitarian pause signed by the Free Aceh Movement and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia has been in effect since June 2000, it has failed to halt the on-going bloodshed in Aceh. In fact, the number of deaths and human rights violations has risen dramatically since June. Human Rights Watch has estimated that close to 10 people disappear in Aceh each week, with many eventually turning up murdered and many more undergoing unlawful detention, intimidation, sexual violence, and torture.The Indonesian armed forces have also been systematically targeting human rights activists, students and NGOs who speak out against the on-going violence in their homeland.

The deteriorating condition in Aceh requires thus increased international campaigns for the strengthening of the non-violent civil forces that are struggling for human rights there. This is very important in view of finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Aceh. It is imperative that the international community be made more aware of the true situation in Aceh. It this in this context that KontraS has sent Aguswandi out into the world, to establish relations with the various international organizations that are concerned with the democratization process and the restoration of human rights world-wide.

Aguswandi has gained some experience in international relations, having been invited to speak in seminars on Aceh in Washington DC organized by the International Forum for Aceh (IFA) of New York, and at the Asia Conference on Aceh in July 1999 in Bangkok jointly organized by the Asian Forum for Development and Human Rights (Forum-Asia) and IFA. He was also the representative of the Acehnese community in the United States to meet with President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) during the Indonesian leader?s visit to the US last November 1999.

While in the US, Aguswandi also spoke to university students and faculty at Fordham Law school and New School University in New York and helped build an international student network of support for Aceh. In December 1999 Aguswandi visited governmental and non-governmental parties in England, Holland and Germany as part of his campaign to bring international attention to the conflict in Aceh.

In late 2000, Aguswandi represented Aceh at the International Conference on Conflict Resolution, Peace Building, Sustainable Development and Indigenous People, held in Metro Manila, Philippines, December 6-8 2000. At the conference, Aguswandi gave a stirring presentation on the crisis in Aceh and drafted a resolution for peace in Aceh, which was unanimously supported by the 110 participants from all corners of the world, and is to be released in the conference declaration.

He also went to Geneva in March 2001 as Aceh NGO Representative for UN Human Rights Commission Annual Meeting. In Geneva, he make an intervention on human rights condition in Aceh. He also did some lobbyist work to many governments representation from several countries. In March 3, 2001 Aguswandi was finished his studies in constitutional Law of Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh. He is also keen on philosophy, international relations and poetry. At the moment he is doing MA International Relations course at London Metropolitan University.

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About Aceh

What the new law on Aceh requires?
Opinion and Editorial - April 24, 2006 (the Jakarta Post)
Aguswandi, Banda Aceh
Aceh is currently still in a transition to peace. The province does not yet have a sustainable peace, and the new legislation being prepared for Aceh's political future, which is still being debated by lawmakers, will determine whether this transition will ensure a genuinely sustainable peace or mark the beginning of another conflict.

For the many Indonesians sensitive about foreign engagement in the Aceh conflict, peace is now in their hands. After all, the real peace process did not take place in Helsinki with the signing of the memorandum of understanding, but in Jakarta. The Helsinki agreement opened the door for peace. Now, it is up to Jakarta and the Indonesian people at large to decide how peace will prevail -- by approving or rejecting the draft law submitted by Aceh.
The March 31 deadline set in the Helsinki peace deal for the enactment of the law has already passed. There has been no public outcry to question or protest this. This is because the deadline itself is not that crucial and its passing could in fact have been expected. The problem is neither the delay nor the approval of the draft law itself, but whether it accommodates the aspirations of the majority of the Acehnese.
Indeed, the draft from Aceh reflects the aspirations of the majority. It is not just about the two parties -- the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the government of Indonesia -- anymore. After the two signed the MOU, the whole spectrum of communities and groups followed it up by transforming the peace deal into a draft law. The process may not have been ideal in terms of public engagement to produce and accommodate every possible aspiration, but it is the closest to the ideal of one voice and one aspiration by the Acehnese.
Through parliamentary drafts and various discussions that have taken place between key Acehnese figures, we can distinguish between the must-have points and the good-to-have points. These points must be considered by anybody interested in seeing what is essential and what is peripheral. This distinction will be at the heart of successfully addressing those core aspirations and ideas that have been at the heart of the province's conflict for many years.
Among the essential points is a demand for a greater authority for Aceh to run its own political and economic affairs. Acehnese must be allowed to run their local government without interference from Jakarta.
This is why Article 7, point 3, in the government-sponsored draft was deemed the most controversial point in this regard. This article states that in addition to certain government powers (in defense, foreign affairs, etc.), there are other government affairs which, by statutory regulations, are stipulated as the authority of the (central) government.
There is little clarity about what is meant by "other government affairs". The central government must make it clear that it is relinquishing authority in all matters except defense, foreign policy and monetary affairs (except as allowed in the MOU).
Politically, other must-have points should include further access to political participation by allowing the establishment of local political parties. Here, local political parties must follow the spirit of the MOU. This does not mean, as some have suggested, that it is necessary to have branch offices in other parts of Indonesia. Local means local. This is why independent candidates, including ex-GAM members, must be able to contest the elections so that local political issues can genuinely find a platform.
Of equal importance to politics are the provisions for economic autonomy. Aceh must be able to build up direct trade relationships with foreign groups/countries. This will allow the Acehnese to benefit from their strategic territorial position.
Aceh must have a full control over its natural resources, and ministers and bureaucrats in Jakarta must not hold the power to give away Aceh's resources, be they mineral, forestry or fishery. These powers, which include control over ports and airports, must be handed to Aceh.
What is being demanded in the draft law is in fact just a better version of the devolution of power that was supposed to be provided by the law on special autonomy. While the special autonomy law only gives limited power to Aceh, the draft law should provide greater room for Acehnese aspirations. The government has repeatedly told the Acehnese to "ask for anything, except independence" and now the draft law for Aceh asks just that.
For the many that have worked hard to achieve peace in Aceh, it is time to continue striving for the approval of a law that includes all the must-have points. We are almost able to touch the light at the end of tunnel. If we succeed, this could be the first conflict in Asia to be solved peacefully.
The writer is an Acehnese human rights advocate. He can be reached at agus_smur@hotmail.com.

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News About Aceh

EU Pledges Continued Support for Peace Process in Aceh
By Marianne Kearney Jakarta22 April 2006

Javier Solana, left, speaks to the media as Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, right, listen during a press conference, April 21, 2006 Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, has traveled to Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged province of Aceh to assess the peace deal between Acehnese separatists and the Indonesian government. Solana vowed that the EU would continue to provide peacekeeping assistance.
Javier Solana met in Aceh Saturday with Peter Feith, the head of the Aceh Monitoring Mission, and with leaders of the Free Aceh Movement.
Solana again noted the delay in passage of a new law on the governance of Aceh, which is needed to pave the way for provincial elections.
Feith says he and Solana discussed the delay.
"What we felt was a concern was the time it took to get the law on governing Aceh approved in the national parliament in Jakarta," he said. "But we were informed today, and I got the clear impression, that work is going to be accelerated now, and there is an expectation that the law on governing Aceh can be passed in the early days of May."

Feith says this would allow local elections to be held before the end of July.
He says Solana was impressed with the progress of the peace deal, and will recommend that the EU extend its peacekeeping mission, known as the AMM.
"He would recommend that, if the elections will take place before the end of July, that AMM could be extended," he added.
The new law was a central element of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sealed the peace. Feith says that, if the national parliament can pass the law, without too many amendments, there is no reason for the peace process to fail.
"As to its content, we also expect that the law will be in conformity with the MOU," he added. "We don't have full certainty, until we have seen the last version of it, and there may still be difficult discussions in parliament ahead of us."
Feith says another area of disagreements concerns, which former combatants will be given amnesty. Granting the former guerillas amnesty, and allowing them to run in local elections was also a key part of the peace agreement signed last August.
"The other point, where we have a concern, is that there is quite a large number of disputed amnesty cases," he noted. "But we have with us now a lawyer from Sweden, and we have committed to solve all these cases by the end of the mission."
The Free Aceh Movement, or GAM, launched a decades-long struggle for independence from Indonesia in 1976, in which at least 10,000 people have died. However, prompted by the unprecedented death and destruction in the province, caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the rebels agreed to hand in their weapons.
Last week, four exiled GAM leaders returned from Europe. Members of the former guerilla movement are expected to run as candidates in the coming elections.

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