I've just returned to Mexico after a couple weeks working on a project about the ongoing peace process in Aceh Indonesia. Above is a portrait of a Politician with Party Aceh, the main party in Aceh. The flags in red and black can be seen everywhere in the the country.
Party Aceh was created after the 2005 peace agreement by GAM the rebel group which has been fighting for independence for over 30 years from the Indonesian government. This spring, for the first time in Aceh's history, local elections will be held allowing the predominantly muslim population to vote freely. However, the region is tense due to inequalities in post-conflict and post-tsunami rebuilding. Jakarta and the GAM leadership struggle to push the elections in one direction or the other. Interests in Jakarta attempt to convince people that Party Aceh will call for a referendum on independence, while Party Aceh attempts to convince people that only they will be able to make Jakarta stick to all the terms in the peace deal. (And only if they win 100% of the vote) Meanwhile the many families living in poverty wonder if any politician will actually do something to improve their lives.
It is incredible to visit a place that was so devastated by war and natural disasters, but now has found peace. The fact that powerful interests are struggling through words and not bullets is a profound step forward for this traumatized region. What was most striking to me was the cheer and hope I found in the younger generation. They want peace, change, and a place in the world. And if Aceh can get through the next year they may get just that.
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