ABSTRACT
The various peace negotiations between the government of Indonesia and GAM preceding the 2005 Helsinki talks created a legacy of suspicion more than a foundation for enduring peace. One of the campaign promises of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), the president of Indonesia, and his vice president, Jusuf Kalla, was to renew efforts to resolve the Aceh conflict peacefully. As GAM’s economic and military situation deteriorated, the organization’s international standing also reached its lowest point since the start of the Geneva process. The havoc wreaked by the tsunami served as a turning point, increasing GAM’s motivation. The scale of the disaster worsened GAM’s military and socioeconomic situation and international standing; the international community pressured its leadership to end the conflict for the sake of reconstruction efforts following the massive devastation. The efforts by the newly elected SBY government to engage in dialogue with GAM’s exiled leadership in October and November of 2004 were met with distrust on the part of GAM.
