Associated Press in Banda Aceh – As a ship carrying hundreds of troops leaves Aceh's port, soldiers and police wonder if an accord being signed by the Indonesian government and separatist rebels today will bring lasting peace to the province.
Pointing to mountains that line the tsunami-ravaged coastlines, they said they did not believe Free Aceh Movement leaders who negotiated the deal, many of whom have lived abroad for years, were in touch with their men in the field.
The rebels have their own concerns. They are worried for their safety and are lying low in their jungle hideouts.
"We cannot leave until the accord is signed," said Tengku Muksalmina, a rebel regional commander. "Some Indonesian troops are surrounding us in a ready-to-shoot position, and we've been ordered to avoid armed clashes."
Despite last-minute jitters, everyone in the province seems to agree this is the best chance Acehnese have had in years to end fighting that has claimed 15,000 lives since 1976, most of them civilians.
About 200 EU and Southeast Asian monitors will be deployed across the province to make sure both sides honour the agreement.
"We have urged both parties to show maximum restraint, to desist from all acts of violence and use of force," said Peter Feith, the Dutch head of the monitoring mission. "This will create the climate of confidence" needed to usher in much-wanted peace.
Previous deals have collapsed, the most recent in 2003 when the army and the rebels accused each other of violations.
It took the December 26 tsunami, which killed 130,000 people and destroyed much of the province's infrastructure, to get the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement rebels talking again.
Vice-President Jusaf Kalla said the exiled rebel leadership saw the devastation caused by the killer waves on television and decided it was time to stop fighting. "And we realised, too, that rehabilitation and reconstruction in Aceh would be impossible if there was no peace," he said.
Both sides made major concessions during peace talks in Helsinki, Finland, last month. The rebels gave up their long-held demand for independence, agreeing to remain part of Indonesia, and to give up their weapons. In return, the government offered them land and jobs, and, most importantly, some sort of political representation.
Details of the accord were slowly emerging. In addition to its own flag and anthem, the province will be allowed to hold an election next year for a regional head.
"The rebels have been struggling for 30 years, but what is the result? Nothing," said Hasballah Saad, a former human rights minister and an Acehnese native. "Now they have a legitimate reason to stop their struggle – they get amnesty, economic compensation and political representation." And, as demanded by the rebels, more than 20,000 of Indonesia's 50,000 troops will withdraw.
The bulk will begin leaving in mid-September, but hundreds of military police pulled out ahead of today's signing. "I can't wait to see my mum," said one soldier, who was returning to his home in Java.