NEWSWEEK: Do you agree with Gus Dur that most Acehnese want to remain in the republic? RAIS: We cannot jump to that optimistic conclusion, because most probably the Acehnese people want to imitate East Timor and choose full independence. People in Aceh feel that their human rights and dignity have been violated time and again by the security apparatus, which has murdered innocent people, raped their women and tortured them. There has also been very unjust revenue sharing. No wonder the province is backward and very poor.
Did Gus Dur make a big mistake when he suddenly offered Aceh the referendum? Gus Dur has to switch from his habit of being the leader of an NGO [nongovernmental organization] to being president of this great republic. Sometimes his reaction is so spontaneous. I told him that he should be more careful. For example, he said that in the future the natural resources of [oil-rich] Riau province would be divided 75 percent for the Riau government and 25 percent for Jakarta. But the senior Economic ministers say that if that happens, they will not be able to make the national budget. We do need a change, a real transformation. But this is too drastic, too radical.
Is a referendum inevitable in Aceh? Yes, we cannot turn down a demand for a referendum. But we have to rack our brains first, to do our best to find out what kind of solution we can agree upon short of a referendum.
Will the military allow human-rights trials to proceed in Aceh? It seems to me that both [Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs] Wiranto and [Armed Forces Commander Admiral] Widodo have not put up any obstacles to stop the investigations. But I don’t know how far the investigation will go. Some officers are afraid that trials will only tarnish the armed forces’ reputation. I say no, that’s not true. If you have the moral courage to bring before the court your own people who committed crimes, then it will be much better. The reaction of the society will be positive and encouraging.
But aren’t senior officers also worried that if lower-ranking soldiers are convicted of murder, then they, too, may be implicated and tried? Maybe. Some [of the accused] may say they committed crimes on the orders of their boss. But without bringing those criminals to the court, Aceh people cannot be satisfied. It’s a matter of justice. Acehnese people want to see the proof. They don’t want to be cheated again.
Are there any dangers in globalization for Indonesia? We could become the object of international exploitation if we are not careful. We have to recognize the rules of the globalization and liberalization, and then we must protect our national interests. It’s like swimming near rocks: you have to swim carefully to avoid being smashed.
