ABSTRACT
Officially changing Aceh’s name to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (lit., State of Aceh, Abode of Peace), the NAD law became the ‘main pillar’ of President Megawati Sukarnoputri’s persuasive strategy to resolve the Aceh conflict. The legislation was passed by the DPR on 19 July, 2001, during Abdurrahman Wahid’s final days in power and was formally ratified by Megawati Sukarnoputri on 9 August as one of her first presidential acts. The rationale for granting Aceh special autonomy was to create a political alternative to secession that would persuade the Acehnese people to remain part of Indonesia. In practice, however, Megawati’s government made little effort to implement the NAD law and primarily relied on security operations aimed at pressuring GAM into accepting special autonomy as a precursor to peace.
