Free Aceh Movement
Encyclopedia
The Free Aceh Movement also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), was a separatist
group seeking independence
for the Aceh
region of Sumatra
from Indonesia
. GAM fought against Indonesia
n government forces in the Aceh Insurgency
from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives. The organisation surrendered its separatist intentions and dissolved its armed wing following 2005 peace agreement with the Indonesian Government. The Indonesian government called the group the Aceh Security Disturbance Movement.
During the era of Dutch colonisation
in the 1800s, Aceh was the centre of resistance against Dutch colonial rule. The Acehnese resisted Dutch forces and they were one of the last Indonesian people to succumb to colonial rule and only after a brutal 30 year campaign, the Aceh War
of 1873-1903. When the Netherlands transferred sovereignty of their colonial territory, administration of Aceh was handed over to Indonesia and GAM claims that this was done without consultation with Acehnese authorities. Daud Beureueh mounted an armed rebellion that ended with Aceh being granted special status by President Sukarno
. This special status gave Aceh control on religion, custom law and education.
Motivated by discovery of large gas reserves in Lhokseumawe
and driven by inherent ethnic-chauvinism widespread amongst the Acehnese, a former Darul Islam "foreign minister", Hasan di Tiro
established the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) in December 1976. The small movement started its first attack on Mobil Oil engineers in 1977, killing one American engineer. Due to this incident, GAM came under the attention of central government, who sent small units of counter-insurgency troops that successfully crushed the movement. Di Tiro was nearly killed and was forced to flee to Malaysia, while all members of his "cabinet" were either killed or forced to flee abroad by 1979.
Since its inception GAM has gone through three stages or three rises and falls. The first was at its birth in 1976 to the year 1979 when it was almost wiped out. The second rise and fall was in 1989 to the early 90s when it received funding and training from foreign countries. The third rise was a result of finally gaining widespread support throughout Aceh as a result of donations and extortion and a large group of potential soldiers who had lost relatives in the previous uprising.
. The reason for this failure was a lack of popular support from both within Aceh and from international sources. President Suharto was favored by countries such as America due to his anti communist policies during the Cold War period.
and Iran
, fielding around 1,000 soldiers. This training from overseas meant that GAM soldiers were much more organised and better trained that the previous insurgency. To counter this new threat Aceh was declared an "area of special military operations" (Daerah Operasi Militer) or DOM in 1989. Special counter- insurgency troops were sent in and Aceh was locked down. Villages that were suspected of harboring GAM operatives were burnt down and family members of suspected militants were kidnapped and tortured. Amnesty International called the military response "shock therapy" and it is believed 7000 human rights abuses took place during DOM. GAM forces have also been suspected of Human Rights abuses. Extra judicial executions of suspected military informants and targeting of civilian infrastructure such as schools have both been attributed to GAM operations.
In 1996 the Indonesian government announced the end of GAM., as the counter-insurgency operations had effectively destroyed GAM as a guerilla force. Surviving GAM members were forced to hide in Malaysia.
to withdraw troops from Aceh as part of democratic reform gave space for GAM to re-establish itself, recruiting youths by exploiting brutality stories of Indonesian military. Increasing violence beginning in 1999 by GAM rebels against government officials and Java
nese residents, buoyed by massive weapons smuggling from Thailand
by the GAM, led to an increase in military presence. Troop numbers are believed to have risen during the rule of Megawati Sukarnoputri
. In 2001-02 the combination of military and police forces in Aceh had grown to about 30,000. In one year this number jumped to 50,000 operating in what the International Crisis group called, "a virtual legal vacuum". The security crackdowns during this time resulted in several thousand civilian deaths. The government launched a large 2003-2004 Indonesian offensive in Aceh against the GAM in 2003 with some success.
, and his chief deputy, Zaini Abdullah, and Malik Mahmud have lived in exile in Stockholm
, Sweden
. The group's main Indonesian spokesman is Abdullah Syafei'i Dimatang. In the late 1990s GAM began peace talks with Jakarta, brokered by the Swedish government.
In 1999 it was reported that the group had split into two factions, ASNLF (representing the original group) and the Free Aceh Movement Government Council (MP-GAM). This has been denied by GAM spokespersons but widely reported by the Indonesian media.
In 2002-2004, the GAM was severely hit by a series of government offensives, in which the organisation lost approximately 50% of its members, including its commander Abdullah Syafei'i Dimatang who was killed in a military ambush on January 2002.
On Tuesday, 28 December 2004, in the aftermath of the devastation caused by a massive tsunami
, GAM declared a ceasefire of hostilities to allow for aid to reach within the disputed area. In turn, the Indonesian government temporarily removed restrictions of northern Sumatra to allow for rescue efforts in that area.
Other Aceh separatist
groups exist, and there was some tension between them and GAM over tactics and GAM's monopoly of negotiations with the government.
On 27 February 2005, the Free Aceh Movement and the delegation of the Indonesian government started another round of peace talks in Vantaa
, Finland
, moderated by former Finnish president
Martti Ahtisaari
. On 16 July 2005, the Indonesian Minister of Communication and GAM announced a peace deal to end the thirty-year insurgency
. The peace agreement was officially signed on 15 August by chief Indonesian negotiator Hamid Awaluddin
and GAM leader Malik Mahmud.
Under the terms of the agreement, both sides agreed to cease all hostilities immediately. GAM also agreed to disarm, while the Government pledged to withdraw all non-local military and police by the end of 2005. An Aceh Monitoring Mission was set up by the EU and ASEAN to oversee the process of disarmament and the reintegration into society of GAM members. A presidential decree granted amnesty to about five hundred former GAM members who were in exile
in other countries, and unconditionally released about 1,400 members who had been jailed by the Government.
The Government agreed to facilitate the establishment of Aceh-based political parties; this had been one of the most contentious issues in previous negotiations. A "truth and reconciliation commission" will be organized. On the question of the uneven distribution of income, it was settled that seventy percent of the income from local natural resources will stay within Aceh.
On 27 December 2005, the leaders of the Free Aceh Movement announced that they had disbanded their military wing. The action, which took effect immediately, follows from earlier peace talks and the destruction of 840 weapons by international observers, Free Aceh movement commander Sofyan Daud told reporters, "The Aceh national army is now part of civil society, and will work to make the peace deal a success." As a sign of how the peace process was progressing the founder of Aceh's separatist rebel movement, Hassan di Tiro, returned to Indonesia on October 11, 2008 after nearly 30 years in exile.
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
group seeking independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
for the Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
region of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. GAM fought against Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n government forces in the Aceh Insurgency
Insurgency in Aceh
The insurgency in Aceh was waged by the Free Aceh Movement between 1976 and 2005 in order to obtain independence from Indonesia. Destruction caused by the armed conflicts and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake brought a peace deal and an end to the insurgency....
from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives. The organisation surrendered its separatist intentions and dissolved its armed wing following 2005 peace agreement with the Indonesian Government. The Indonesian government called the group the Aceh Security Disturbance Movement.
Background
The conflict in Aceh stems from several major areas, historical mistreatment, control over Islamic law, the fair distribution of Aceh's natural resource wealth and the increase of the Javanese population within Aceh.During the era of Dutch colonisation
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
in the 1800s, Aceh was the centre of resistance against Dutch colonial rule. The Acehnese resisted Dutch forces and they were one of the last Indonesian people to succumb to colonial rule and only after a brutal 30 year campaign, the Aceh War
Aceh War
The Aceh War, also known as the Dutch War or the Infidel War , was an armed military conflict between the Sultanate of Aceh and the Netherlands which was triggered by discussions between representatives of Aceh and the U.S. in Singapore during early 1873...
of 1873-1903. When the Netherlands transferred sovereignty of their colonial territory, administration of Aceh was handed over to Indonesia and GAM claims that this was done without consultation with Acehnese authorities. Daud Beureueh mounted an armed rebellion that ended with Aceh being granted special status by President Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
. This special status gave Aceh control on religion, custom law and education.
Motivated by discovery of large gas reserves in Lhokseumawe
Lhokseumawe
Lhokseumawe is the second largest city in Aceh province, Indonesia. It faces the Malacca Strait, and is surrounded by North Aceh Regency . The city covers an area of 212 square kilometres. According to the 2000 census Lhokseumawe had a population of 188,974 people...
and driven by inherent ethnic-chauvinism widespread amongst the Acehnese, a former Darul Islam "foreign minister", Hasan di Tiro
Hasan di Tiro
Tengku Hasan Muhammad di Tiro , born Hasan Bin Leube Muhammad, was the founder of the Free Aceh Movement , an organization which attempted to separate Aceh from Indonesia from the 1970s. It surrendered its separatist goals and agreed to disarm as agreed to in the Helsinki peace deal of 2005...
established the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) in December 1976. The small movement started its first attack on Mobil Oil engineers in 1977, killing one American engineer. Due to this incident, GAM came under the attention of central government, who sent small units of counter-insurgency troops that successfully crushed the movement. Di Tiro was nearly killed and was forced to flee to Malaysia, while all members of his "cabinet" were either killed or forced to flee abroad by 1979.
Guerrilla war
| GAM Incarnation | Years Operating | Active members | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAM I | 1976-79 | 25-200 | >100 |
| GAM II | 1989-91 | 200-750 | 2000-10,000 |
| GAM III | 1999–2002 | 15-27,000 | 4364 |
Since its inception GAM has gone through three stages or three rises and falls. The first was at its birth in 1976 to the year 1979 when it was almost wiped out. The second rise and fall was in 1989 to the early 90s when it received funding and training from foreign countries. The third rise was a result of finally gaining widespread support throughout Aceh as a result of donations and extortion and a large group of potential soldiers who had lost relatives in the previous uprising.
GAM I
At first the guerilla war of GAM was highly unsuccessful, and the government appeared to have entirely neutralized the group by 1977. There efforts were mainly directed at the local Exxon Mobil gas plant. Di Tiro had connections with the petroleum industry and even bid, via a tender process, on a contract to build a gas pipeline which was beaten by the gas giant BechtelBechtel
Bechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
. The reason for this failure was a lack of popular support from both within Aceh and from international sources. President Suharto was favored by countries such as America due to his anti communist policies during the Cold War period.
GAM II
The group renewed its activities in the 1989, apparently with financial support from LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, fielding around 1,000 soldiers. This training from overseas meant that GAM soldiers were much more organised and better trained that the previous insurgency. To counter this new threat Aceh was declared an "area of special military operations" (Daerah Operasi Militer) or DOM in 1989. Special counter- insurgency troops were sent in and Aceh was locked down. Villages that were suspected of harboring GAM operatives were burnt down and family members of suspected militants were kidnapped and tortured. Amnesty International called the military response "shock therapy" and it is believed 7000 human rights abuses took place during DOM. GAM forces have also been suspected of Human Rights abuses. Extra judicial executions of suspected military informants and targeting of civilian infrastructure such as schools have both been attributed to GAM operations.
In 1996 the Indonesian government announced the end of GAM., as the counter-insurgency operations had effectively destroyed GAM as a guerilla force. Surviving GAM members were forced to hide in Malaysia.
GAM III
The fall of Suharto in 1998 and the decision of his successor President Jusuf HabibieJusuf Habibie
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie , also known B. J. Habibie, was the third and shortest-serving President of Indonesia, serving from 1998 to 1999.-Early life and career:...
to withdraw troops from Aceh as part of democratic reform gave space for GAM to re-establish itself, recruiting youths by exploiting brutality stories of Indonesian military. Increasing violence beginning in 1999 by GAM rebels against government officials and Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
nese residents, buoyed by massive weapons smuggling from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
by the GAM, led to an increase in military presence. Troop numbers are believed to have risen during the rule of Megawati Sukarnoputri
Megawati Sukarnoputri
In this Indonesian name, the name "Sukarnoputri" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name "Megawati"....
. In 2001-02 the combination of military and police forces in Aceh had grown to about 30,000. In one year this number jumped to 50,000 operating in what the International Crisis group called, "a virtual legal vacuum". The security crackdowns during this time resulted in several thousand civilian deaths. The government launched a large 2003-2004 Indonesian offensive in Aceh against the GAM in 2003 with some success.
Peace negotiations
The leaders of GAM, Hasan di TiroHasan di Tiro
Tengku Hasan Muhammad di Tiro , born Hasan Bin Leube Muhammad, was the founder of the Free Aceh Movement , an organization which attempted to separate Aceh from Indonesia from the 1970s. It surrendered its separatist goals and agreed to disarm as agreed to in the Helsinki peace deal of 2005...
, and his chief deputy, Zaini Abdullah, and Malik Mahmud have lived in exile in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The group's main Indonesian spokesman is Abdullah Syafei'i Dimatang. In the late 1990s GAM began peace talks with Jakarta, brokered by the Swedish government.
In 1999 it was reported that the group had split into two factions, ASNLF (representing the original group) and the Free Aceh Movement Government Council (MP-GAM). This has been denied by GAM spokespersons but widely reported by the Indonesian media.
In 2002-2004, the GAM was severely hit by a series of government offensives, in which the organisation lost approximately 50% of its members, including its commander Abdullah Syafei'i Dimatang who was killed in a military ambush on January 2002.
On Tuesday, 28 December 2004, in the aftermath of the devastation caused by a massive tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
, GAM declared a ceasefire of hostilities to allow for aid to reach within the disputed area. In turn, the Indonesian government temporarily removed restrictions of northern Sumatra to allow for rescue efforts in that area.
Other Aceh separatist
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
groups exist, and there was some tension between them and GAM over tactics and GAM's monopoly of negotiations with the government.
On 27 February 2005, the Free Aceh Movement and the delegation of the Indonesian government started another round of peace talks in Vantaa
Vantaa
Vantaa is a city and municipality in Finland. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.Vantaa, with its population of , is the fourth most populated city of Finland. The biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is located there...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, moderated by former Finnish president
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland , Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work....
. On 16 July 2005, the Indonesian Minister of Communication and GAM announced a peace deal to end the thirty-year insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
. The peace agreement was officially signed on 15 August by chief Indonesian negotiator Hamid Awaluddin
Hamid Awaluddin
Hamid Awaluddin is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Russian Federation and Belarus.- Biography :...
and GAM leader Malik Mahmud.
Under the terms of the agreement, both sides agreed to cease all hostilities immediately. GAM also agreed to disarm, while the Government pledged to withdraw all non-local military and police by the end of 2005. An Aceh Monitoring Mission was set up by the EU and ASEAN to oversee the process of disarmament and the reintegration into society of GAM members. A presidential decree granted amnesty to about five hundred former GAM members who were in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in other countries, and unconditionally released about 1,400 members who had been jailed by the Government.
The Government agreed to facilitate the establishment of Aceh-based political parties; this had been one of the most contentious issues in previous negotiations. A "truth and reconciliation commission" will be organized. On the question of the uneven distribution of income, it was settled that seventy percent of the income from local natural resources will stay within Aceh.
On 27 December 2005, the leaders of the Free Aceh Movement announced that they had disbanded their military wing. The action, which took effect immediately, follows from earlier peace talks and the destruction of 840 weapons by international observers, Free Aceh movement commander Sofyan Daud told reporters, "The Aceh national army is now part of civil society, and will work to make the peace deal a success." As a sign of how the peace process was progressing the founder of Aceh's separatist rebel movement, Hassan di Tiro, returned to Indonesia on October 11, 2008 after nearly 30 years in exile.
2006 elections
During the election of December 11, 2006, Free Aceh Movement temporarily split into two factions, each supporting its own candidate for governorship. One side, supported Zaini Abdullah's brother, and the other supported Irwandi Yusuf, former GAM negotiator. Irwandi Yusuf got more support from grass root level however, and won the election. See Ben Hillman, 'Aceh's Rebels Turn to Ruling', Far Eastern Economic Review, Vol. 170, No. 1, January–February 2007, 49-53.Further reading
- Miller, Michelle Ann (2009). Rebellion and Reform in Indonesia. Jakarta's Security and Autonomy Policies in Aceh. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-415-45467-4
External links
- Free Aceh (ASNLF)
- Full text of 2005 peace agreement, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 15 August 2005