|
Aceh Celebrates Indonesia's Independence Day
 |
|
Children
celebrate Indonesia's 60th Independence Day outside Banda Aceh.
(Reuters)
|
BANDA
ACEH, August 17, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Two
days after signing the peace agreement with the Indonesian government,
Acehnese marked Indonesia's Independence Day Wednesday, August 17, as
Malaysia, the chairman of the Organization of Islamic Conference
(OIC), was urged to kick-start efforts to offer assistance to the Aceh
population and cement the peace agreement in the province.
Indonesian
flags were hoisted in front of Acehnese homes, marking the 60th
anniversary of Indonesia's independence from former colonial power The
Netherlands, Reuters reported.
Thousands
of Acehnese attended ceremonies across the province, joining
countrymen across the world's fourth most populous country honoring
the day nationalists declared independence shortly after the end of
World War II.
The
Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a peace
agreement in Helsinki on August 15, paving the way for an end to three
decades of bloodshed that claimed about 15,000 lives.
In
the past, GAM had issued warnings ahead of Indonesia's Independence
Day for Aceh residents not to take part in ceremonies marking the
occasion or raise Indonesia's red and white flags.
Peaceful
Aceh
Indonesia's
military said the province was peaceful during the national occasion's
celebrations, Reuters said.
"Nothing
has disrupted Indonesia's birthday celebrations all across Aceh. We
have tightened security so people can enjoy the taste of
freedom," said Aceh military chief Supiadin A.S. after a military
ceremony in the provincial capital Banda Aceh.
One
of those made homeless by the tsunami watched the ceremony from a
distance and said he hoped Indonesia would take better care of Aceh.
"As
Indonesia's age becomes 60, the government must really take a just
stance so that no more gaps exist among the people. The interests of
the tsunami-affected people must be a priority," said Muhammad
Iqbal whose house was badly damaged by the killer waves of December
last year.
Under
the signed peace agreement between the Indonesian government and GAM,
all hostilities were ended, with the Aceh separatists dropping demands
for independence for a form of local self-government and demobilizing
troops.
Indonesia,
in turn, promised an amnesty, to allow the creation of political
parties in the province and to withdraw non-local security forces by
the end of the year.
Celebrations
 |
|
A
girl laughs while watching official ceremonies on Independence Day
in Jakarta. (Reuters)
|
Marking
the 60 anniversary of independence, celebrations were also held
across the vast archipelago from remote villages to the capital as
neighborhoods built stages for music shows.
Indonesian
families took part in traditional games, including climbing greasy
poles to get prizes hanging from the top, according to Reuters.
Marking
the occupation, Indonesia also released hundreds of jailed
Acehnese rebels as part of the annual Independence Day prisoner
remission program.
In
Jakarta's presidential palace, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono led the main ceremony which featured a female Acehnese
student wearing a black head cover as the carrier of the country's
red-and-white flag.
Among
the participants of that ceremony was Dutch Foreign Minister
Bernard Bot who became the first minister from Indonesia's former
ruler to attend such celebrations.
The
Netherlands this week acknowledged for the first time that August
17 was the date its former colony became an independent nation.
"I
represent the Dutch government and the Dutch people and I am very
happy to be present here," Bot said after the palace
ceremony.
Bot
Tuesday expressed regret for the suffering his country inflicted
during the colonial period.
The
Netherlands did not recognize the August 17, 1945, declaration of
independence by Sukarno, who later became president, and the Dutch
tried to regain control over Indonesia.
However,
after four years of bloody resistance, the Dutch agreed to leave
on December 27, 1949, the date it previously saw as Indonesia's
day of freedom.
Kick-start
Efforts
Meanwhile,
Malaysia has been urged to kick-start efforts to ensure compliance
of the Aceh peace agreement to serve the benefit of the province's
4.2 million population, the majority of whom are Muslims, the
Malaysian news agency (Bernama) said.
A
forum comprising over 200,000 lecturers from 2,400 higher
education institutions in Indonesia said Tuesday that the
Malaysian higher education institutions should play a more robust
role in setting up study centers in all the 21 districts in the
region, to be followed by the OIC members.
"With
the signing of the peace agreement between the Indonesian
government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM), the situation in Aceh
will be more peaceful, and this enables Islamic countries to
render assistance without concerns over their security," said
the forum's secretary-general, Dr Yusherman.
Yusherman
also urged Malaysia and other OIC countries to take part actively
in developing the province, especially in the creation of jobs.
"I
believe that on the platform of common language, culture and
religion and family ties across the Straits of Melaka, Acehnese
are more receptive to Malaysian industrialists and
investors."
"Moreover,
the Acehnese have always considered Malaysia as a model
country," he said.
The
OIC has expressed support to the peace agreement between the
Indonesian government and the GAM.
"We
hope the signing of this agreement will help establish peace and
stability in the region and would speed up the reconstruction
process, particularly after the tsunami catastrophe," OIC
spokesman Atta al-Mannan said.
"The
Organization of Islamic Conference has backed all efforts aimed at
finding a settlement through negotiations in order to reach a
peaceful and lasting solution to the Aceh conflict."
|
