BY PIP HINMAN
Australia-based Scottish academic LESLEY McCULLOCH and US nurse Joy-Lee Sadler were arrested in Indonesian-occupied south Aceh on September 11. They were beaten, harassed and jailed for five months and four months respectively on charges of "violating" their visas.
According to McCulloch, politics was the real reason for the lengthy investigation and the attempt to bring espionage-related charges against her. McCulloch is widely respected for documenting the extensive illegal economic activities of the Indonesian military and police in Aceh. Green Left Weekly spoke to McCulloch soon after her release.
Jail must have been horrendous. What sort of support did you received from Acehnese friends?
The five months were split into two periods. For the first three months, we were held at the police station in south Aceh. I was subject to much intimidation and harassment there, while Joy was not.
From the beginning, the police were quite sympathetic to Joy. She was already sick when we arrived at the station and there was a feeling that she was in trouble only by virtue of her association with me, whom they accused of agitating for the disintegration of Indonesia. In the judge's summing up, he sentenced me to one month longer {than Sadler] because he said I was a danger to the state!
This three-month period was also stressful as we had no visitors. Anyone who tried to see us would be interrogated, so we told people to stay away. Indeed, most were too afraid to come.
The second stage of my detention — the last seven weeks before being released — was spent in prison in [provincial capital] Banda Aceh. The physical living conditions there were much worse, but the level of intimidation dropped markedly. The staff were locals who were generally sympathetic to the Acehnese cause. Finally, we were able to meet with friends.
The support of local Acehnese was amazing. When Joy was so sick they were able to bring her medicines, but the local hospitals refused to treat her because of her HIV+ status. When Joy was released, and I was alone for one month, they gave me moral and practical support. I really cannot thank them enough!
What's your assessment of the peace negotiations. Has it stopped the military and police violence?
Since the signing of the new cease-fire agreement on December 9, the official number of deaths and arrests have decreased. Even the Legal Aid Institute reports that there has been a dramatic decline in the number of new cases.
The problem with the peace agreement is that it can only be part of the solution. For example, it doesn't address one of the major demands of the Acehnese: justice for past abuses.
It also seems that the number of violations of the agreement reported by local people is much less than the number that are taking place. This is because the military and police visit villages and towns after a violation has been reported to the Joint Security Control to try to find out who reported it. This has understandably created fear and a reluctance by people to report violations.
How best can Western governments assist the Acehnese people's desire for democracy and peace?
The British and US governments don't want independence for Aceh, but the majority of the Acehnese still desire it.
The peace agreement and process must remain something the Acehnese feel ownership of. The international community should be patient, their role being to facilitate a safe environment within which the Acehnese can pursue their own agenda.
What is the state of the democracy movement in the present difficult conditions?
The lack of democratic space in Aceh is a serious problem. Many hoped that the cessation of hostilities agreement would allow space within which civil society could find its voice, something that has been suppressed for so long. This has not been the case. Those who agitate for change are still being arrested.
Nazar from the Aceh Referendum Information Centre is a very good example of this. He is facing a jail sentence because of his success in mobilising people to support a referendum. Kaustar, a leader of the Acehnese People's Democratic Resistance Front, is in hiding from the authorities for similar reasons.
We must help Nazar and Kaustar, and all the others who want to bring about peace in Aceh via political means.
[Lesley McCulloch will be addressing public meetings in Sydney and Melbourne in March hosted by Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific. Visit <http://www.asia-pacific-action.org> for more details.]
From Green Left Weekly, March 5, 2003.
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