“FREEDOM!” Muhammad screams to the top of his lungs. He spontaneously shouts it after reading the temporary recapitulation issued Aceh Independent Commission for Election (KIP) as published in one of the local newspapers – exactly a week after the April 9 2009 legislative Election.

The exclamation is happily welcomed by Muhammad’s friends sitting next to him while enjoying cups of hot coffee in one of the coffee shops in Rantau Panjang, Ranto Peureulak, East Aceh.

This 17-year old young man concludes that because Aceh Party (Partai Aceh) wins in the 2009 election, Aceh will soon be independent.

To Muhammad and his friends, ‘freedom’ is a familiar word because for years they live in a zone of conflict between the Government of Indonesia and Free Aceh Movement.

No one knows who starts the rumor on Aceh independence, but it quickly spreads from one person to another.

It is lively discussed in campus, coffee shops, markets, discussion forum and the Internet.

The biggest debate forum in Aceh, www.acehforum.or.id, accommodates this topic under various subjects. This forum has 16 thousands of members.

One of the debates is titled “PA wins, Aceh is free.” The opening of the debate is a statement taken from a YM (Yahoo Messenger) Chat conversation between one of the forum member with Laksamana as his ID of with one of Aceh important figures under a pseudonym.

Laksamana raised a question, “What direction would Aceh take when PA sits on the Parliament?” The person with a pseudonym answered, “Independence!”

Muhammad feels the same way. A young man who claims he used to carry weapons during the conflict is certain that PA’s victory will lead Aceh to become a free country, independent from the Republic of Indonesia.

Until the end of KIP Aceh Plenary Meeting in the Aceh Local House of Representative (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Aceh/DPRA) on April 29 2009, PA is indeed the winning party with 48 per cent of votes and is eligible for 33 seats in DPRA for the 2009-2014 period.

The percentage however is lower than PA’s expectation.

“We are confident to secure 70 per cent of votes,” PA spokeperson Teungku Adnan Beuransah stated in mid April in the office of PA Central Leadership Council in Banda Aceh.

It fails to reach the target. However, the Aceh people are sure that PA will win and bring changes to Aceh, in whatever form necessary.

A police observer Aulia Asep Ralla wrote his opinion on the rumor of Aceh independence in www.kabarindonesia.com on May 01 2009.

He argues that there are indicators of increase intensity of activities from former separatists of Free Aceh Movement to free Aceh from the Republic of Indonesia. The basis of his argument however is rather peculiar.

Aulia infers that one of the policies opted by the current Aceh Government is a tactic toward Aceh’s independence. According to his opinion, Aceh Government is strengthening its security system under cover. It is the Department of Forestry which is used as a camouflage. Aulia writes that provincial forest guards of the Department now builds and develops a military force by giving them trainings on land navigation and to use compasses and maps.

Aulia argues that the decision of Aceh Government to equip these forest guards with fully armed weaponry is to prepare for the independence.

In reality, Aceh forests have long been the target for illegal logging. The illegal activities oftentimes involve government officials and armed groups. It is logical for Aceh Government to equip its apparatus with armed weapons to ensure the law to be enforced.

Aulia’s argument seems to be tainted with fallacies. However, if the Government of Indonesia sees the rumor as serious threat, Aceh would return as a conflict zone.

Zakaria Muhammad Amin denies the Internet hush-hush, Aulia’s opinion and remarks from PA supporters in East Aceh. He is a vice head of Nurul A’la Ranto Peureulak region, East Aceh.

”In the post-MoU era, PA never considers independence from the Republic of Indonesia as an option. Even though PA wins in this Election, it does not mean PA will orchestrate efforts to free Aceh from the Republic of Indonesia, he firmly says.

According to Zakaria, assumptions that PA will lead Aceh to its independence are voiced by people who never spend time to read and examine the Helsinki Agreement.

The former guerilla argues that if one day Aceh ever separate itself from Indonesia, it would never be achieved through neither violence nor armed conflict.

Rumor however has spread. The source cannot be identified. If this rumor is used to make a political decision in the period of democratic transition, the result will surely be fatal.***


*) Martha Andival is an Aceh Feature contributor in Aceh. She is a Modus Aceh Tabloid journalist.