The Aceh Region of Indonesia

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the Aceh region of Indonesia has a separate identity from the state as a whole, which dates back to pre-colonial times, and has been in a state of rebellion for the past 50 years. The author points out that Aceh's desire for independence is not based entirely on religion, although the Acehnese separatists are labeled "Islamic Fundamentalists"; a more accurate explanation, while not discounting religion, takes into account other important political and economic factors. The paper states that the Acehnese Independence Movement and the current situation developed from the New Order regime's policies, from 1949-1998, under Suharto, which exploited Aceh's natural resources and used excessive military force, resulting in perpetuating and strengthening the Acehnese desire for separation from Indonesia.

Table of Contents
Introduction
A Brief History of Aceh's Independence Movement
Religion as a Factor
Exploitation of Natural Resources
Military Operations
Suharto's Precedent
Current Concerns

From the Paper:

"Suharto's New Order regime came to an end in 1998 but it did not bring an end to problems in Aceh. Also, Suharto left behind a precedent for dealing with the Aceh conflict that, in many ways, remains very influential with successive and current leaders of the country. Suharto's policies of economic centralization, resulting in resource-rich regions being exploited for the benefit of Jakarta and at the expense of the local population, a policy which resulted in the underdevelopment of resource-rich Aceh, have changed little despite changes in governments in Indonesia. The legacy of deep mistrust and hatred of the central government produced by Suharto's New Order regime and President Habibe's inclination to follow the same policies made unrest worse and made the prospects of a permanent peace almost impossible."

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