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Why Was “Self-Government” Not Achieved in Aceh? The Challenges of Implementing a Peace Agreement

Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun · Vol. 10 No. 3 (2022) · pp. 875–898

DOI
10.26811/peuradeun.v10i3.789
ISSN
2443-2067, 2338-8617
Published
2022-09-30
Publisher
SCAD Independent
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Abstract

The "self-government" was proposed as an alternative solution to independence and special autonomy to end the protracted conflict in Aceh. Based on the contents of the peace agreement signed in 2005, Aceh is given the right to self-government. However, this is not realized fully. This study aimed to explain the imagined self-government and the causes challenging it to be implemented. The study used a qualitative library research method in which data was sourced from online text documents. The data were analyzed using critical discourse analysis. The study found that the issue of "self-government" was initially at the center of the negotiation. The Free Aceh Movement - GAM envisioned it like Olan Island in Finland and Sarawak in Malaysia. Still, it has not been realized because it was not declared explicitly in the agreement, and the term "self-government" was used as a strategy to persuade GAM negotiators to continue in the negotiation. Further, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) offered Aceh special autonomy instead of self-government through the Law on Governing Aceh by ignoring the limitations on the authority of GoI over Aceh that was agreed. This was caused by five reasons that lay in the negotiation process and the realization of the agreement interconnected. Amongst; GAM was unbalanced to GoI during the negotiations and powerless to force GoI to obey the deal, and there was no punishment mechanism for the violator of the agreement. Finally, the study revealed that an inclusive process in drafting new laws for a post-conflict region does not always result in full outcomes by the agreement.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

15 authors · 28 co-authorship links

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Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Yusra JamaliAffiliation unknown1
Muhammad Anggung Manumanoso PrasetyoAffiliation unknown1
Che Mohd Aziz YaacobAffiliation unknown1
Fakhrurrazi FakhrurraziAffiliation unknown1
Iromi IlhamAffiliation unknown1
Awaludin ArifinAffiliation unknown1
Faizul AuliaAffiliation unknown1
Marhaeni SalehAffiliation unknown1
Rahmawati RahmawatiAffiliation unknown1
Abidin NurdinAffiliation unknown1
Alchaidar AlchaidarAffiliation unknown1
Apridar ApridarAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.scadindependent.org/index.php/jipeuradeun/oai, first harvested 7 Nov 2026, last seen 8 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">Why Was “Self-Government” Not Achieved in Aceh? The Challenges of Implementing a Peace Agreement</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Zainal, Suadi</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Askandar, Kamarulzaman</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Abubakar, Muhammad bin</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Peace Agreement</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Self-Government</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Helsinki MoU</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Aceh</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Sosial Sciences</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">The "self-government" was proposed as an alternative solution to independence and special autonomy to end the protracted conflict in Aceh. Based on the contents of the peace agreement signed in 2005, Aceh is given the right to self-government. However, this is not realized fully. This study aimed to explain the imagined self-government and the causes challenging it to be implemented. The study used a qualitative library research method in which data was sourced from online text documents. The data were analyzed using critical discourse analysis. The study found that the issue of "self-government" was initially at the center of the negotiation. The Free Aceh Movement - GAM envisioned it like Olan Island in Finland and Sarawak in Malaysia. Still, it has not been realized because it was not declared explicitly in the agreement, and the term "self-government" was used as a strategy to persuade GAM negotiators to continue in the negotiation. Further, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) offered Aceh special autonomy instead of self-government through the Law on Governing Aceh by ignoring the limitations on the authority of GoI over Aceh that was agreed. This was caused by five reasons that lay in the negotiation process and the realization of the agreement interconnected. Amongst; GAM was unbalanced to GoI during the negotiations and powerless to force GoI to obey the deal, and there was no punishment mechanism for the violator of the agreement. Finally, the study revealed that an inclusive process in drafting new laws for a post-conflict region does not always result in full outcomes by the agreement.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">SCAD Independent</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2022-09-30</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.scadindependent.org/index.php/jipeuradeun/article/view/789</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.26811/peuradeun.v10i3.789</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun; Vol. 10 No. 3 (2022): Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun; 875-898</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2443-2067</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2338-8617</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.scadindependent.org/index.php/jipeuradeun/article/view/789/660</dc:relation>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.scadindependent.org/index.php/jipeuradeun/article/view/789/661</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2022 Suadi Zainal, Kamarulzaman Askandar, Muhammad bin Abubakar (Author)</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>