Banda Aceh – Former Aceh rebels watched on Wednesday as international peace monitors fed a final batch of their weapons into a circular saw, a symbolic end to the nearly three-decade of civil war in the province.
Since the signing of a peace agreement in Helsinki in August, the former fighters have handed in all of their declared 840 arms and the Indonesian Military (TNI) has withdrawn nearly 20,000 troops from Aceh – with hundreds more scheduled to leave before the month's end.
On Wednesday, six Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels presented EU-led peace monitors with their guns at an emotional ceremony attended by hundreds of people. Each of the weapons was cut into three pieces.
"We are moving in the right direction and are willing to keep moving on," rebel spokesman Irwandi Yusuf told AP, adding that he was also sad to see the destruction of "guns that were our friends when we were fighting for Acehnese interests".
Following the end of decommissioning process, he disclosed that GAM plans to set up Aceh Transition Committee for its 3,000 soldiers.
"We won't let former GAM members live in neglect, that's why we plan to form the committee," Irwandi said, adding the committee is expected to be set up following the official disbandment of GAM military structure by the end of the year.
He said the committee will serve to assist the soldiers during the transition period to become civilians as well as working to guide former rebels and give sanction when they conduct violations.
"In the future, the committee can be turn into political party but let's wait until law of political party being amended," Irwandi said.
GAM spokesman Sofyan Dawood said the committee would be led by former GAM commander Teungku Muzakir Manaf.
"The committee will be different than GAM's military. It's unarmed and the former rebels will eventually turn into civilians and become independent," Sofyan said. The former rebels were badly in need of training and education so they could live independently after fighting in guerrilla groups for years, he said.
GAM took up arms in 1976 to carve out an independent homeland in the oil- and gas-rich province. Nearly 15,000 people died in the conflict, many of them civilians caught up in army sweeps through remote villages.
Peace efforts gained momentum after the massive earthquake and tsunami struck the region on Dec. 26, 2004.
With the sensitive phase of disarmament and decommissioning near completion, the government will start preparing laws giving the rebels the right to form a political party and cementing the region's right to greater autonomy and control of its natural resources. They also will start paving the way for provincial elections.