I have always wondered what it is with Muslims, oil, civil unrest and, at this point in time, natural disasters. Most of the world's oil lies in Muslim countries and almost all civil wars around the world involve Muslims, except perhaps for Colombia, Northern Ireland and parts of Africa. The province of Aceh, in northern Sumatra, is almost typical. It has some of the world's largest proven oil and natural gas reserves. It is home to more than five million Muslims and is part of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim state. Aceh has been in the midst of a debilitating civil war, which has killed some 15,000 people over the past 30 years, and which undoubtedly provides a safe haven for terrorists and other outlaws.
The recent tsunami, which ranks among the worst natural disasters of all time, almost exclusively hit countries with a majority of Muslims -- Indonesia, Malaysia, Somalia, coastal Burma and Thailand and southeast Sri Lanka and India -- and killed tens of thousands in Aceh alone.
Maybe it has something to do with God's will. I don't know and I don't even want to contemplate the possibilities. But while this calamity provides another reason for religious personalities to "strengthen their faiths and pray for God's mercy," and for philanthropists to open their wallets, there is a deeper issue involved here.
I am not talking about "winning the hearts and minds" of Muslims in the region, a concept that I find too nave. It makes humans sound like little children we can win over with a few candies and other enticements. In reality, the deeper issue is regional stability. It should go without saying that rebuilding Aceh and pacifying its separatist movement is of the utmost importance. If we ignore the plight of the people, not only in terms of the current disaster but also in terms of their long-standing differences with the Indonesian government, we may have to pay a high price.
If war breaks out again, it might endanger essential shipping lanes in the Straits of Malacca, disrupt oil production and hinder recent democratic advancements in Indonesia. The United States already considers the region's shipping channels to be some of the most strategically significant in the world. We only have to look at a world map to notice their importance, and the recently launched Regional Maritime Security Initiative hopes to keep them safe from terrorist attacks. Almost all Indonesian oil lies off the coast of Aceh.
Obviously, peace and stability are essential for continued oil production, which in turn helps further development of the Indonesian and Southeast Asian economies. Finally, while we have considered Indonesia to be a democracy for several decades, it has truly started moving towards a more pluralistic democracy and out of the clutches of the powerful Suharto and Sukarno families in the past few years. If past trends are any indication, any new hostilities in Sumatra will only reverse any democratic progress made by the Indonesian government.
But, we have hope. The tsunami disaster provides a unique opportunity to bring peace and stability to Aceh. Over 100,000 people were killed in a matter of hours and, while we mourn their loss, their deaths should provide an impetus for us to ensure that no more lives in the region are lost to violence or disease. Aceh has already seen too much death and destruction -- it is time people there enjoyed some lasting peace and prosperity. What can donor states do to help? In addition to providing aid for reconstructing the region, they need to convince, even coerce, Jakarta to find a peaceful solution to the civil war, whether through autonomy or shared sovereignty.
The aid packages that are worked out should require Jakarta to invest more of its oil revenues in Aceh. Before relieving Indonesia of its debt, donors should require it to use the funds to develop the educational, social and industrial infrastructure of Aceh, not just to strengthen its military presence there. Currently, figures show Aceh receives only 1.6 percent of the billions of dollars of oil revenues and, although it produces a considerable percentage of the Indonesian GDP, it is one of the country's poorest states. The civil war broke out in the 1970s partly because of this inequity, and peace talks failed because Jakarta refused to address Aceh's economic concerns.
The Free Aceh Movement has announced a temporary cease fire to enable aid workers to deliver necessary supplies to the region. Maybe we can convince Jakarta to make it a permanent one.
