Aceh Institute Statement
concerning
“Two Years after
Rehabilitation-Reconstruction-Reintegration Process of Aceh and
New Aceh Leadership”
It has been two years since the tsunami but the
rehabilitation and reconstruction process is still very slow and
expectations are not being met. Even the UN special envoy, Bill
Clinton, and the vice-president of Republic of Indonesia, Jusuf
Kalla, have both expressed their “surprise” and disappointment.
The Aceh Institute shares their opinion concerning the slow
progress and lower-than-expected results of the rehabilitation
and reconstruction work carried out under the coordination of
the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (Badan
Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi – BRR). More to the point, the
problem of reintegration and reconciliation remains unsolved due
to the poor performance of Aceh Reintegration Agency (BRA).
However, the people of Aceh, whose endurance and
resilience have been tested during the conflict and the
emergency in the aftermath of the tsunami, have always found
ways to survive and rebuild with or without aid from outside. By
2007, two years following the tsunami, the people of Aceh have
found renewed hope after the success of the direct election of
the local governmental heads and the new governor whom will be
installed soon.
In order to meet the high expectations of the
Acehnese people, policies of the new Aceh Provincial Government,
the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency and the Aceh
Reintegration Agency should be more focused, coordinated and
synergetic.
A discussion held by the Aceh Institute with the
theme “Reflections: Two Years after the Tsunami and Leadership
of New Aceh” on December 24th, 2006; attended by 37
Acehnese academics, researchers, intellectuals and
intellectual-activists in Banda Aceh released a number of
statements and recommendations to these three policy making
institutions. The statements and recommendations are part of the
Aceh Institute’s commitment to be a critical and constructive
partner to the three institutions that will determine the
success of the people of Aceh’s efforts in building a new Aceh
that is equitable, prosperous, open, peaceful and democratic. A
new and better Aceh!
Statements and Recommendations regarding Housing,
Settlements, Aceh Provincial Government, Rehabilitation and
Reconstruction Agency and Aceh Reintegration Board:
1. The
number of independent candidates elected in the direct election
of the local governmental head indicates that the people of Aceh
desire CHANGE and it too reflects the low credibility of the
bureaucracy and the current national political parties.
Therefore, the government should immediately bring about changes
so that there will be better direction, particularly in the
provision of basic public service sectors such as education,
health, and the economy. Clean water, electricity,
transportation and communication facilities are basic
necessities that should be affordable by people from all walks
of life;
2. The
new Aceh Provincial Government was elected directly through a
safe, peaceful and transparent process and as a result is highly
legitimate. Being highly legitimate, the new provincial
government is expected to demonstrate improved performance.
Therefore, it has to consolidate the potential of the people of
Aceh, which includes reconciliation with all the components of
the Acehnese society after the direct election of local
governmental heads. All parties are expected to give full
support the new government in Aceh;
3. When
it is said that the performance of the BRR as a rehabilitation
and reconstruction institution has not satisfied many parties;
there is no guarantee that the Aceh Provincial Government would
perform any better should it immediately take over the role of
BRR. In the event that the Aceh Provincial Government should
take over the role of the BRR and fail, it would worsen and
complicate the situation and management of the reconstruction
process, and would cause wider implications for the processes of
reintegration and reconciliation.
4. Accordingly,
strategic steps should be taken by the new Aceh Provincial
Government to be a “critical partner” and “good claimant”. The
elected Aceh governor should reject the ex-officio position as
the “Deputy Head” of the BRR. He should instead place himself at
a higher level, such as a member of the BRR Advisory Board,
together with the relevant ministers from the central
government;
5. During
the transition period, the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
Agency should concentrate on urgent matters, such as housing,
settlement, and basic and large scale infrastructure; whereas
the coordination of small and mid-size programs and projects
should be ultimately transferred back to the Aceh provincial
government. It is proper to transfer fully projects of cultural,
religious and social affairs to the Aceh provincial government
since their local content is strong;
6. The
Aceh Provincial Government should demand that the Rehabilitation
and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR) provide an
Action Plan for regional empowerment, intended for the community
and government, over the next two years. This effort can be made
through synergy and integration of the resources of BRR and the
Aceh provincial government through a program termed “Local
Empowerment” which would act as a “bridge” between the two
institutions.
7. BRR’s
strategy of optimization, which promotes regionalization as a
holistic approach like the one conducted by the Nias
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency, should be encouraged.
This effort should be executed seriously and must optimize the
capacity of the regional offices of the Rehabilitation and
Reconstruction Agency, which to this date are still dependent on
the BRR head office. As for housing in particular, the
management of housing financed by On-Budget funds should be the
responsibility of, and directly managed by, the regional offices
of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency. This can be
done by reforming the Housing and Settlement Department of the
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency, which tends to be
centralistic in the implementation of its housing development in
Aceh. This then results in slow progress and failure to produce
quality houses within the expected time frame;
8.
The regionalization of the BRR would also mean
that the regional offices of BRR must strengthen the government
of the regencies/municipalities where they are working. Relevant
agencies should continuously be engaged, according to their
responsibility, in the decision making process
up to the highest level instead of merely acting as an
implementing agency for programs planned by the Rehabilitation
and Reconstruction Agency. Coordination should be carried out by
local agencies at the relevant levels. Gradually (one year at
the most), the role of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency
should shift from being the leader to an equal partner with the
Aceh Provincial Government and Regencies/Municipalities;
9. The
housing development conducted by the Rehabilitation and
Reconstruction Agency should be reoriented from the Small
Contractors approach to the Community-based Development (CBD)
approach or with eclectic method of Community
Contracting + Small Contractor, with properly proposed
procurement procedures and encouraging vibrant and
structured community participation;
10. To
recognize problems more clearly and be cautious of opinions
arising from unreliable parties such as those stating that land
certification has become the main issue delaying the progress in
housing and settlement programs in Aceh. Spurred by the spirit
of regional autonomy, the Aceh provincial government should
clearly state that housing development can be conducted prior to
the completion of land certification, and, regarding the land
borders of the inhabitants of an area, housing development can
be carried out on the basis of the community’s mutual agreement.
11. Rehabilitation
and reconstruction should be based on the Gampong (village)
since the Acehnese community is communal by nature.
Split-community is as, if not more, dangerous as
split-family similar to what was feared in the early living
arrangements of tsunami survivors in the barracks. As the
hadih maja (proverb) says: Cilaka rumoh hana tampong
(A roofless house is a disaster); Cilaka gampong rumoh han
sapat (A disunited village is a disaster). Thus, it is
necessary to redevelop the gampong social structure,
particularly in new post-tsunami settlements;
12. The
Aceh Reintegration Agency should be encouraged be more
autonomous in terms of bureaucracy and finance so that it will
be freed from supporting narrow short term interests to allow it
to implement the reintegration and reconciliation process
considered as an important and urgent part of the rehabilitation
and reconstruction process;
13. Reintegration
requires encouragement so that it becomes community-based and
not just geographically-based. The Aceh Reintegration Agency
working on programs based on “black,” “grey,” and “white” area
would only result in complexities and belittle the achievement
of reintegration and reconciliation. We have, for example,
received a report stating that there was a victim who deserves
“peace compensation” but he is in a “white” area hence did not
receive sufficient attention;
14. The
process of reintegration and reconciliation should not be
interpreted as a distribution of compensation funds. Further
fundamental integration efforts are needed by taking into
account cultural and social aspects. Peace and reconciliation on
a gampong level must be taken seriously and directionally
and at the same time strengthened at the leadership and
political level.
15. The
new Aceh provincial government should change the developmental
orientation from Jakarta to the Straits of Malacca and the
Indian Ocean. Geographical and cultural proximity should be
utilized for the economic and social interest of the Acehnese
people. The future Aceh is an open Aceh, part of the Unitary
State of the Republic of Indonesia, with an orientation toward
the Straits of Malacca and the Indian Ocean.
16. The
Law on the Government of Aceh (Undang-undang Pemerintah Aceh
– UUPA) contains numerous political compromises and to date
this has become a frequently discussed issue. The laws, however,
do not have much detail about the economic and developmental
affairs of Aceh. For that reason, attention is required to
ensure the future of Aceh in the long term.
17. Specific
agencies will need to be established for the development of
education and culture in Aceh, for example; Majelis
Pendidikan Daerah (Regional Education Council) and
Majelis Adat Aceh (Aceh Customs Council). However, they
should not be a part of the bureaucracy and should consist of
independent experts in their respective fields.
Institutional, Bureaucratic and Planning Sectors:
1. The
integrated team for immigration, customs and excise, and work
permit one-stop services such as the one that is currently
available at the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency should
be maintained even when the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
Board is no longer in operation. This integrated services
concept that is compact and practical should be maintained and
put on the agenda of the new Aceh administration. It may be
stationed, for example, at the Governor’s office in order to
facilitate Aceh’s export-import and investors that will come to
Aceh.
2. The
new Aceh provincial government should remain committed to
revising the Law on the Government of Aceh to conform to the
Helsinki MOU. On the other hand, it is necessary to allocate
sufficient resources so that the 96 Qanun (Provincial
Regulations), required to implement the Law on the Government of
Aceh, so as to achieve the maximum effect and meet the
expectations of the Acehnese people. Legal drafting
carried out by those pushing narrow agendas with vested
interests must be avoided by processes that are more
transparent.
3. A
number of rehabilitation and reconstruction plans are
superfluous and unrealistic, they produce great amounts of
documents but either fails to be implemented or is partially
executed. Conflicts in the coordination of long and short-term
development, micro and macro development are not unusual. There
are also parties "playing hero” under the pretext of taking
sides with the common people.
4. The
new Aceh provincial government should side with the common
people, by not only protecting the land and area of settlement.
Buffer zones should not only be created on coastal areas but
also in urban and forest areas, as well as historical sites and
public places.
5. Wider
and more significant involvement of local technical personnel in
architecture, area planning, and environmental sectors are
required in order to keep the “soul” of the physical structure
constructed alive. The comprehension of the gampong
concept, for example, is very important in the building or
rebuilding of new settlements;
6. Higher
educational institutions such as State-run Universities and
Private Universities in Aceh can be involved institutionally to
supervise the rehabilitation and reconstruction process as well
as the reintegration processes. They need not be involved
structurally but with their panel of experts, they may discuss
the rehabilitation, reconstruction and reintegration process
with those involved.
7. The
new administration should reform the local government based on
meritocracy and ensure it is free from Corruption, Collusion and
Nepotism. The appointment of public officials, such as Head of
Services, Agencies, Boards, and Provincial Corporations, should
be conducted through the fit and proper test that is
transparent to the community.
Economic and Developmental Sectors
1. There
should be long-term development planning for future development
to anticipate the burst of the economic bubble. The booming
construction industry and derivative services, such as hotel
businesses are temporary and unsustainable. Therefore, it is
necessary to have a long-term vision for Aceh such as Aceh
Vision 2025.
2. The
productive economic sector needs revitalization in order that,
when the economic bubble bursts, Aceh’s economy does not rely on
the government’s budget as it has in the past. Important
sectors, such as export-oriented agriculture and fishery should
be developed more vigorously;
3. For
long-term economic development, a good and clean government is
needed. Beside that, institutional improvement is also needed to
avoid a high cost economy, for example, by introducing one-stop
services, which are supported by an open community to lure
investment from the outside.
Implementation of Islamic Religious Laws:
1. The
narrow understanding and implementation of Islamic Law should be
opposed. The Aceh Institute rejects the implementation of
Islamic Law applied presently in Aceh, as goes against an
important principle of Islamic Law by disregarding the
general good (Maslahah), such as the common people and
women. Therefore, the Aceh Institute requests that the
application and implementation of Islamic Law in Aceh be
reviewed;
2. The
application of Islamic Law should be directed more towards
interests that are socially beneficial compared to religious
affairs that are personal in nature. Its application should not
be discriminative i.e. by only focusing on the common people,
women and other marginal groups.
3. There
are different variants of Islamic thought and interpretation.
For this reason, it is necessary to have a culture that respects
different opinions. Islamic universal values that are accepted
by all parties should be prioritized, and schools of
interpretation should be able to develop without being forced
onto others with different interpretations. Islamic conservative
thought brought into Aceh from outside following the tsunami are
foreign to Acehnese history and culture;
Socio-cultural Sector
1. The
people of Aceh are becoming more dependent on the help of
others. The resilience they demonstrated during the conflict and
emergency continues to erode since the tsunami with the pouring
of aid that is not well coordinated and neglect the gampong
social structure of the Acehnese community. In some cases,
the community has become divided, disunited and the social rift
becomes worse whenever aid from the outside does not reach the
target group on time or for the expected duration;
2. Those
within the bureaucracy and financial institutions should provide
room for the people to “empower" themselves with the existing
social capital of the community. Consequently, social unity and
harmony should be supported by various parties working in the
rehabilitation, reconstruction, reintegration and reconciliation
processes;
3. Non-physical
development is as significant as physical development.
Therefore, cultural development and social cohesion to
strengthen the community should receive the same priority;
Educational Sector
1. Aceh
needs to develop its own educational model that integrates
general education, religion and civic education holistically.
The system of separate education institutions, run by the
Department of Education and the Department of Religious Affairs,
will need to be reviewed. Civic education needs to be emphasized
in order to produce a community that realizes their rights and
obligations;
2. A
better evaluation system with continuity needs to be developed
independently in Aceh by taking into account competitiveness on
a regional and global level. The focus on the National Exam
should be reviewed by introducing internationally standardized
evaluation schemes that are cheap and affordable for people from
all walks of
life;
3. The
huge fund for rehabilitation, reconstruction, and reintegration
should be optimally allocated for education by granting
scholarships to as many Acehnese students as possible to study
outside of Aceh. Schools and universities in Aceh should be
encouraged to achieve regional, Asian and world standards within
a certain time frame;
Health Sector
1. While
health facilities are improving with aid from various parties
after the Tsunami, the existing health workforce is still
insufficient, both in number and quality. In terms of quality,
health personnel still cluster in urban areas due to lack of
incentives and motivation to work in rural areas;
2. Nutritional
issues are still worrisome with more than 30% of Aceh’s children
suffering from malnutrition due to poverty and lack of
information. With more than 50% of families in Aceh living below
the poverty line, direct governmental intervention is required
in order to guarantee that the issue of malnutrition can be
overcome;
3. There
must joint effort in the health sector to achieve the Minimum
Service Standard (SPM) of Health in every
regencies/municipalities in a clear and measured time frame.
Women and Children
1. Acehnese
women have become empowered and have been the mainstay of the
community’s survival during the conflict and in the aftermath of
the tsunami. But as the situation gradually normalizes, their
status is becoming again domestic and marginal. Thus women of
Aceh must insist and pursue opportunities in the public domain;
2. The
government should focus on Acehnese children; starting by
providing them with good nutrition, a healthy and peaceful
environment, and education at least up to the level of senior
high school with the cost being borne by the government.
Orphans, elderly widows, the disabled, unemployed, and poor and
neglected children should be the responsibility of the new Aceh
provincial government.
Politics and donor interests:
1. Politics
and donor interests have influenced the rehabilitation,
reconstruction and reintegration work in Aceh. The enforcement
of certification of land as a requirement for housing
development, for example, shows capital interests and efforts to
put people in an unnecessary market-like system by neglecting
the sense of justice and humanity for the tsunami survivors and
suppressing local wisdom in communal land affairs;
2. Donors
and International Organizations should consider a responsible
exit strategy by ensuring the sustainability of programs
that has been completed. Asset discharge, contribution and
handovers should be distributed by considering sense of justice
and Acehnese community’s social structure. Local institutions,
be it the government or non-government mush be involved in the
said exit strategy.
This statement and the recommendations are part
of the Aceh Institute’s contribution toward developing a new and
better Aceh. We look forward on having discussions,
elaborations, and enquiries from the media and public. We
welcome your comments and enquiries. Please contact us at the
Aceh Institute Secretariat:
The
Aceh Institute
Jalan Sultan Iskandar Muda SK III/12, Banda Aceh 23234 -
Indonesia Tel/Fax : +62-651 41682 Email: info@acehinstitute.org
- Website:
www.acehinstitute.org
to be published immediately
For further questions and confirmation, please
contact: Nurul Kamal, Deputy Coordinator of the Aceh Institute
(0813 6041 4281) or Cut Famelia (0812 6912 265)
