Civil society engagement in the peace process
Afridal Darmi
Peacemaking is a relatively new role for civil society in Aceh. Darmi describes how civil society organisations (CSOs) assisted in monitoring security during the 'Humanitarian Pause', agreed between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in 2000. As peacemaking efforts developed, Acehnese CSOs were involved in explaining them to the population, and in helping to allay local scepticism of international mediation. And CSOs facilitated public engagement in the drafting of the Law on the Governing of Aceh , after the 2005 peace settlement had been reached. But inexperience meant that CSOs were vulnerable to manipulation by the parties, and some became targets of violence.
