Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
Assalamualaikum Wr Wb

President Martti Ahtisaari,
Ministers,
Distinguished members of ICWA
Excellencies,
Dear friends,

First, my apologies for being slightly late. This morning, I was attending a national boyscout event just outside Jakarta. And of course, after attending the boyscout event, I needed extra time to change into my suit, because I am sure you would all be confused if I stood here now dressed as a boyscout.

Having said that, let me begin by thanking ICWA for their thoughtful initiative to organize this international conference commemorating one-year of peace in Aceh. I extend my warm greetings to all of you, especially my brothers and sisters from Aceh who are joining us this morning. A very warm welcome also to our friends from abroad, who have come to Indonesia to attend this important conference. I trust that you will have a memorable “peace journey” to Aceh tomorrow. (I actually thought of joining that trip tomorrow, but they said that the plane was already full.)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Of all the days that I have been in office as President of Indonesia, and I have been in this job for nearly 22 months, there are at least TWO particular DATES that I know I will always remember.

One is 26th December 2004. All of you know that day : 3 giant tsunami waves from the Indian Ocean crashed on Aceh and Nias. They took the lives of over 200,000 people, made half a million people homeless, and destroyed much of Aceh. It was the saddest, darkest day in the history of Indonesia.
The other date was : August 15th 2005. It was a historic day when a force much greater than the tsunami--the force of peace, reason, and goodwill--arrived on the shores of Aceh and gave them a new hope for a future that would be very different from their past.

I remember that good day very well. It was a Monday, and the sun was shining in Jakarta, Banda Aceh, and Helsinki. We were all visually connected by way of tele-conference.

And when Mr. Hamid Awaludin, representing the Government of Indonesia, penned his signature on the Helsinki MOU, right next to the signature of his newfound friend, Mr. Malik Mahmud, representing GAM, witnessed by President Martti Ahtisaari, a long conflict came to an end, a new contract for peace was sealed, and Aceh would forever be different.

What a great day it was. You could actually hear the collective sigh of relief from hundreds of thousand Acehnese who had yearned for this day for generations.

In Banda Aceh, where they saw the signing ceremony in Helsinki on a big screen, people around the Grand Mosque of Baiturrachman rejoiced, many of them weeping, and bowed their heads in thankful prayers to Allah SWT.

They knew what this peace meant to them. Parents now could plan their life ahead with certainty and stability. Children could now look forward to return to school and be children again. Families and neighbors would be reunited. Villagers could sleep well at night.

After suffering the tsunami and endless bloodshed, you could see the Acehnese believing, once again, that life is beautiful.

You could see the Acehnese starting to HOPE again.

And that is why we are here today : to pay tribute to their hopes, to remember what the Acehnese have been through, and to honor the peace!

We need to honor this peace because it took us many years and several peace processes to get to where we are today. Indeed, there are those who thought that we would never resolve this problem.

Make no mistake : Aceh was a very difficult conflict from the start. It had gone on for 30 years. It had many periods of intense military confrontation. It claimed thousands of lives, tore families apart, produced orphans and widows. It split the Acehnese people from the cities down to the village, and made some communities dysfunctional.

For a very long time, the positions of the Indonesian Government and GAM were diametrically opposed. Both the Indonesian Government and the GAM tried to pursue dialogue: but a humanitarian pause, and a cessation of hostilities agreement, broke down. And each time the dialogue broke-down, mistrust, suspicion and animosity became stronger.

When I campaigned for the Presidency back in 2004, I promised that I would make the resolution of the conflict in Aceh my top priority. And when I was elected President, that is exactly what I did. I spent many days and working hours with my good friend Vice-President Yusuf Kalla to discuss, plan and shape options for peace in Aceh.

You see, Aceh was a very personal issue for me. When I served as Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security in the previous Government, I spent my entire energy trying to find ways to end the conflict. For a while, things looked promising, especially with the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) in Geneve on December 9th 2002.

But unfortunately that Cessation of Hostilities Agreement collapsed, despite our last minute efforts to save it in a Conference in Tokyo in mid-2003. After the failure of the Tokyo conference, I remember thinking that we now had to embrace ourselves indefinitely for a prolonged conflict, with all its consequences.

Back then, I honestly did not know if another window of opportunity would ever come again. Learning from experience, once a peace process crumbles, it usually becomes harder to revive it the next time around.

But there was one particular lesson from the COHA experience that would be critical for me in future peace efforts. I came to appreciate a peace process, to be successful, always requires FOCUSED, SUSTAINED and CREATIVE efforts and determination at the highest level of leadership. Negotiators need assurances, political back-up, instant decisions, close engagement, constant guidance. Without these, they would not be able to move far in pursuing peace.

The window of opportunity that we were hoping for did come : but it came in a very deceptive form of a nightmare. It came in the form of the deadly tsunami.

We thought it was the end of the world. And we all thought that we had to forget everything else and focus strictly on saving the tsunami victims and on a future reconstruction, which we did.

But nonetheless, a window of opportunity for peace was opening-up. I knew that this window would not open very long. It had to be seized immediately, and treated very delicately, without fanfare, without propaganda, with greatest discretion, and, most importantly, with genuine goodwill.

You see, the tsunami produced an overwhelming moral, political, economic, social imperative to end the conflict.

For my part, I was well aware that there can be NO long-term post-tsunami reconstruction in the absence of genuine peace. That is why right after the tsunami, from Lhokseumawe, Banda Aceh and Meulaboh, I called for renewed talks, echoing the same call I made in Banda Aceh a month before the tsunami. I called on GAM to end the conflict and to work together with us to help the tsunami victims. To underline my seriousness, I instructed the TNI --Indonesian Military -- to stop all military offensives, to focus solely on tsunami humanitarian operations, and I instructed my officials to stop any harsh public rhetoric on GAM.

So we began to extend the olive branch to GAM. We started this process by informally communicating with the GAM leadership abroad, particularly in Stockholm, as well as with the GAM military commanders in Aceh.

And so to cut a long story short, with the help of Helsinki-based Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) led by President Martti Ahtisaari, the representatives of the Indonesian Government and GAM met in Helsinki in the first round of informal talks, in January 2005.

At this time, I was criticized by those who did not see any benefit from renewed talks with GAM. But I was more concerned about the judgment of history for missing this rare window of opportunity to resolve the conflict.

There was also criticism that renewing talks with GAM would dishonor those who had lost their lives in this conflict. But I argued that the purpose of this new push for peace would be precisely to prevent more avoidable casualties, both to our soldiers and police, as well as to the people of Aceh. It would be peace with honor and dignity, and it would be a peace where our principles would be protected.

I was also criticized for sending 3 Cabinet Ministers to meet with GAM representatives, unlike previous talks where the Government was represented only by senior officials. I understood this concern, but I needed to send a clear signal to GAM that I meant business, that decisions would be honored, and that my negotiators would always have direct round-the-clock access to me for instant decisions and guidance. And this, I think, became an important factor in the dynamics of the negotiations. During the Helsinki negotiations, I spent many sleepless nights, along with Vice-President Yusuf Kalla, communicating with our negotiators in Helsinki on the critical issues that were tabled.

Indeed, I remember making it perfectly clear to my negotiators that our objective was NOT “to terminate the enemy”, but “to terminate the conflict, and transform the enemy.” I did not know how long the peace talks would last, but I told them to persevere with the talks for as long as they could. I also told them that to avoid any misunderstanding about this new peace process, I would do all I can to communicate with all our domestic players: members of parliament, the military leadership, veterans, political parties, opinion makers and others; while the Vice-President Jusuf Kalla would deal closely with Mr. Malik Mahmud and other figures abroad.

Fortunately, we did not have to wait long at all. Remarkably, the talks were able to produce a peace deal in just 5 rounds, in a relatively short time-span of 7 months.

By August 15th 2005, the Helsinki MOU was signed. Judging by any standard of conflict resolution efforts, this was an extraordinary achievement.

I stand here today to commend all the negotiators for producing what is perhaps the world’s most important peace deal in recent years. In doing so, they showed unmistakable political maturity and statesmanship and, most importantly, common sense. I ask all the negotiators to rise from their seats so we can give you a big hand of applause.

And our special gratitude to President Martti Ahtisari for his hard work and leadership in ensuring the successful outcome of the Helsinki talks. I fondly remember our very productive meeting in Jakarta in mid-2005 to discuss ways to advance the negotiations, and when I met you, I immediately knew that we had a strong and skillful advocate of peace in you.

President Ahtisaari, may I kindly ask you to stand up so we can show our appreciation for your work.

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Peace has now broken out. Yes, peace has erupted, it has flared, it has bred, multiplied and spread.
And in contrast with the destructive force of the tsunami, this peace has been a very constructive and positive force. It has had a life changing impact on many Acehnese.

Today, one year after Helsinki, the hostilities are gone. The bloodshed is no more. The guns are silent. Arms have been surrendered and destroyed by international monitors. GAM members have come out of their terrain, and they are reintegrating with society with full political, economic and social rights restored.

The TNI and Police have been relocated. Amnesties have been given. GAM leaders from abroad have returned to Indonesia. Former combatants are now praying in the same mosques, and some are playing football, and even watched the World Cup together. The term “brothers and sisters” are now used instead of “enemies”.

Here is where I thank the dedicated members of the Aceh Monitoring Mission who have worked tirelessly on the ground helping us to implement the Helsinki accord. Pieter, Juha and friends from the AMM, may I ask you to stand up, please. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your outstanding work for peace !

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Now, to the question : What have we learned from the Aceh peace ?

Well, I think on a philosophical level, there is the lesson that any conflict, no matter how difficult and intricate, CAN be resolved. You just have to find the right time, the right ingredients, and the right key to unlock the problem. I believe in my heart that although every conflict is unique, and has its own dynamics and complexities, every conflict IS amenable to peaceful resolution. And this was proven in Aceh.

The Aceh peace deal also demonstrates the power of a win-win solution. And a key part of that win-win solution is the notion that military measures alone would NOT be able to deliver long-term peace. Yes, through military operations, we would make tactical advance here and there, but the conflict would remain unresolved. Thus, the best way to secure a permanent end of conflict is through political compromise where both sides would have equal ownership of the solution and its implementation, while principally maintaining Aceh as a sovereign part of Indonesia.

Another valuable lesson is this. Peace is a RISKY business, but it is a risk worth taking. Anyone or any group who embarks on peace efforts will face some resistance from somebody. Perhaps owing to vested interest, or economic motives, or ideology, or an honest doubt, or other political reasons. Thus, resistance is part and parcel of the business of peace-making.

But ultimately leaders must assess the risk, make their calculations, decide whether they want to take the risk, and when they do, they have to lend their full political capital and support to the process. Peace-makers must have a degree of COURAGE to move on and face the odds. Peace-makers must also listen to their judgment and their conscience, and not be distracted by the voice of the skeptics who are usually doubtful of everything. The Aceh peace would NOT have happened if we had bowed to cynical and self-defeatist attitudes.

But peace-makers also ought to realize that not all peace efforts will be successful; many will indeed falter. But in the business of peace-making, the real value of the work often lies in the efforts itself rather than the result.

The Aceh peace process has also reminded us that the only thing more important than coming up with a peace plan is actually implementing it. Remember : the world is full of examples where a perfect peace plan is spoiled by imperfect players. Every peace process begins as a fragile process. It is the task of the peace-makers to muster the same political will to implementing the peace plan as they did to formulating it.

Today, we have passed the critical phase of the implementation, namely the first 4 months which involved decommissioning of arms, amnesty, and relocation of non-organic TNI and the Polri.
Indeed, that is why today, one year after the Helsinki accord, we have MORE PEACE—not less peace, but more peace--in Aceh, precisely because we have rigorously put into practice the Helsinki Accord.

But our great project for peace is hardly done. Indeed, the work is just beginning.
Our challenge now is to make that hard-won peace a permanent peace. What we want is not just any peace, but a permanent peace which permanently terminates the conflict. We must consolidate this peace and bring it to a point of no return.

To be successful, that permanent peace will have to be built on human security, political reconciliation, economic reconstruction, and social unity.

That permanent peace also requires the Acehnese political leadership to develop an ability to work together in Aceh’s new political format. The process of trust and confidence building which finally emerged from the Helsinki talks must now be emulated and spread throughout Aceh. The people of Aceh, more than ever, desperately need to see that their leaders are able to provide them with guidance and wisdom in this critical time of transition. We must not let them down.

The quest for that permanent peace will also be bolstered once we get to the next important milestone ahead us : the local elections in Aceh that will be held in the near future, in accordance with the Helsinki accord and the Law on Governance in Aceh which was recently passed by the Indonesian Parliament.

I have every confidence that we will be able to attain this permanent peace. The Acehnese have now tasted the real fruits of peace. There is no way they want to return to the old days of conflict. THIS is the will of the people that we must listen to and follow.

So let us begin this great work. Let us continue to embrace the spirit of the Helsinki accord. Let us continue to build this permanent peace.

Today, the people Aceh can hold their heads up high, for they now have a story to tell the world, a story that they can be rightfully proud of. When I visited Bireun --the eastern part of Aceh-- recently, I could see the eyes of the Acehnese glowing with optimism and pride for what their community has become.

The Acehnese can tell the world they have successfully put an end to 30 years of long bloody conflict.

They have also refuted and reversed the notion that Indonesia is on the verge of “Balkanization”, a theory that was rather popular a few years ago. As a result of the Aceh peace, Indonesia is more whole, more united, more solid, and more peaceful.

And perhaps, the Acehnese can even inspire this turbulent world of ours which is still punctured by festering conflicts. Peace is still elusive in Lebanon, in Palestine, in Sri Lanka, in Sudan, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Nepal.

The resolutions to all these conflicts will not be easy. We shall all continue to pray for peace in these hot zones. But I do hope that the world will take notice that here at the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, the burning flames of war have been put out for good. The world can be reminded that conflicts can have a happy ending, as the resilient people of Aceh now move on with a life of unity, dignity and progress which is rightfully theirs.

I do not know the answer as to who exactly won the conflict, but I do know we all have won the peace.

Thank you.

Jakarta, 14 August 2006