ABSTRACT
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement on 15 August 2005 brought an end to a civil war that had seized the Aceh province for nearly three decades. This chapter examines the peacemaking process in Aceh, delving into how and why International non-governmental organisations became the preferred mediators in the conflict, and the difficult path they took to bring an end to violence in the region. It outlines the origins of the conflict in Aceh, detailing the evolution of Gerakan Aceh Merdeka as an independence movement born out of centuries of ethnic identity formation and fuelled by a modern history of harsh military suppression and exploitative regional policies. An examination of the peace process shows how local, national, and international efforts eventually led to the significant and rapid developments in late 2004 and 2005.
