Aceh local Gov't plans...

[Dan]

What about the special allocation fund for Aceh, Papua, and West Papua? In 2017 they received close to 20 trillion rupiah, right around 1.5 billion USD. This is in addition to the usual provincial budget etc that everyone gets.

I guess either we have been talking to different people from the three provinces, or they're telling you different things than what they tell my Indonesian engineers, technicians and community development experts when they visited those three provinces.

I'll be sure to let my cousin know that her check is in the mail. Her husband was decapitated and left by the side of the road, but that's OK because the government that facilitated his murder has allocated extra funds for development. His murderers have never been brought to justice, and they probably never will be. He wasn't a rebel, he didn't have any personal association with GAM. He was a simple merchant. That's a story I heard all over Aceh.

Please, I doubt the average indigenous person in these provinces feels any additional benefit from whatever it is the Indonesian government claims it gives. Between local corruption and poor allocation of funds I would imagine that's negligible. What portion of that funding has gone to justice and reconciliation for those wronged by the government? Where is their admission of war crimes against the Acehnese people?

None of that is forthcoming.

I don't care if they throw money at the problem: I care that the people whose ancestors dwelt in that land are NOT the owners of their own resources. I care that the indigenous peoples are at risk of gradual ethnic cleansing and extinction. I care that the past or current history (especially in the case of Papua/West Papua) reflects brutality and murder on the part of the government that's supposed to take care of them. Seriously? How can I ask my family to forgive the people responsible for heinous crimes against them?!

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[waarmstrong]

Granted the United States made an effort, at least partially successful, to burn Japan to the waterline in response to their treachery, at war's end Japan was quickly rebuilt and put on the road to prosperity, as were other Axis powers. Better to forgive and move on. Festering hatred works to destroys the lives of the haters most of all.

 

[IndoTom]

Execution has never stopped a criminal from committing Rape, murder robbery or drug smuggling, but I suppose it gives simple minds some satisfaction in thinking they have a means of deterrent which in fact doesn’t work

So what is it that is being debated? The criminality of the crime or the form of punishment? Is the punishment considered harsh, inhumane, or a form of torture?

What is the basis for our thoughts of what constitutes a crime and what is a proper punishment? Is it based on your religion or do you use the generic phrase "Human Rights" as a defiant rebuke against things you consider harsh? What are human rights, and where did they come from?

Lots of questions, but in them are many answers.

 

[harryopal1]

As I recall there was a time when there were 11 would be secessionist areas in Indonesia. A natural human response is to want to support people who feel oppressed in their aspirations for independence. The harsh realities of life tend to crush aspirations. I am still amazed that Habib let go of East Timor. A freaky moment as otherwise I think East Timor would have been tied to Indonesia forever

Difficult and complex issues. And I wonder if there are small ethnic areas in Aceh which would like to be independent of Aceh? It seems to be the nature of militarism that when things become violent terrible things are done. The extent to which vile abuse takes hold depends on the leadership but if the leadership is corrupt and also sees instability as an opportunity for looting ....? I am not sure what God was thinking when she/he created the human species.

 

[Dan]

Difficult and complex issues. And I wonder if there are small ethnic areas in Aceh which would like to be independent of Aceh? It seems to be the nature of militarism that when things become violent terrible things are done. The extent to which vile abuse takes hold depends on the leadership but if the leadership is corrupt and also sees instability as an opportunity for looting ....? I am not sure what God was thinking when she/he created the human species.

The DPRA, Aceh's legislative body, recently stumbled upon just those feelings. They held a contest for a "national hymne" for Aceh, and unsurprisingly the song is in Acehnese. When my wife heard it she was moved almost to tears, and I think a lot of Acehnese felt the same way.

There's a big problem with that, though, as the Acehnese are not the only indigenous people in the region. The Gayonese in particular felt left out, and their language is not at all mutually intelligible with Acehnese. In most respects, Aceh's other native ethnic groups tend to support separatism. However, the actual work of nation building has been fraught with difficulties to no one's surprise.

GAM et al. may have been OK rebels, but they're not particularly good nation builders.

http://aceh.tribunnews.com/2017/11/18/harmoni-bersama-hymne-aceh

 

[Dan]

Granted the United States made an effort, at least partially successful, to burn Japan to the waterline in response to their treachery, at war's end Japan was quickly rebuilt and put on the road to prosperity, as were other Axis powers. Better to forgive and move on. Festering hatred works to destroys the lives of the haters most of all.

Duly noted. I understand that this is true for both parties. If Indonesia made a greater attempt at reconciliation with the Acehnese people I would probably be less inclined to support separatism. I think the LoGA was that attempt, but it has thrown an even greater wrench into the process. One nation with two legal systems, two legislatures... in the end I think their efforts amounted to half-ass independence for Aceh.

They need to make a decision, and now that they have given this autonomy they cannot take it back or risk a new conflict. There's really no way forward for Aceh as a part of Indonesia. The sooner Indonesia realizes this the better for a lot of lives may be lost in the next conflict.

 

[jstar]

Somewhat hilarious:
DPR Commission VI Member Rafli Kande, who is a delegate for the Islamic party PKS, proposed in a working meeting with the Minister of Trade to make the growth and export of cannabis from Aceh legimate.

Of course everybody jumped on this proposal in disbelief. And only a day later, Rafli realized what he had said, so he explained that the intended export of cannabis was the use of marijuana for medical needs, he didn't mean legalization and free use, let alone misuse.

The legislator from Aceh stressed that according to religion, cannabis is not haram. The illegitimate facet only exists, he stated, if it is misused.

 

[rabbit_39]

The legislator from Aceh stressed that according to religion, cannabis is not haram. The illegitimate facet only exists, he stated, if it is misused.

Shouldn't that applies to alcohol too? Or is that in a different chapter and verse of the Quran? What about cigarettes? Aren't many people abusing them? So addicted to cigarettes that they're willing to smoke in public in front of children, babies and pregnant women without care of its effects.

 

[jstar]

That’s a good point of course; many people refuse to use those hand sanitizers while that could be considered medical use also.

Smoking is -according to fatwas- haram. Some even state the plant is grown on devil’s urine. But even there is no clear opinion; MUI always stated it was only inadmissible for children, pregnant women and in public places. Muhammadiyah has always been much more strict.

 

[rabbit_39]

[QUOTE="jstar, post: 66006, member: 111"
Smoking is -according to fatwas- haram.
[/QUOTE]

Would not have guessed that from the number of people who smoke around here

 

[abel majeed]

might be a little bit off topic..but still related to aceh..my question, since I heard good things about ache (not necessarily attracted to their random sharia stuff) the ppl of aceh, simpler life style. their patience after the pseunami etc. I think crime rates are lower also which is very important b.s. I hv a large family. for sm1 like me who is in a happy marriage with an indonesian, is it ok to choose to be in ache even though my wife is not from ache, knowing also that I won't hv a job or anything like that in ache. will this raise eye brows by immigration in Indonesia!! what about my country? am an American. ache is the only place in indo that has this sharia stuff and often times the media relate sharia to extremism....your thoughts?

 

[Helpful Herbert]

The government has just announced that ISIS terrorists will not be repatriated to Indonesia, which I guess is the right decision, although a compromise could have been to repatriate them to Aceh where they would fit in with the more hardline approach. Anyway I wonder if there will be 212 demos or similar to try and persuade the government to back down?