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Indonesia's House Passes Bill on Special Aceh Autonomy
The Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday passed a bill on wide ranging autonomy to the troubled Aceh province which is aimed at granting more authority and power to the province to govern itself.
Under the bill, so called "Aceh Nangroe Darussalam", the province also is granted by 70 percent of sharing from oil and gas revenue with the central government.
The bill also stipulates the establishing of Islamic court in the province.
"This bill has to be fully implemented in Aceh one year from now on, at the latest," Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, chairman of the Special Committee in charge of drafting the bill, told reporters.
But other legislators warned that the passage of the bill should not be thought as the central government policy to compromise with the spirit of independence which have been mounting in the province.
Meanwhile, the government said that with the passage of the bill, the Acehnese would be able to reach more prosperous welfare in their economic and social life, saying that the government has given its best to the Aceh people by granting as many as 70 percent of the revenue from oil and gas sectors.
"We hope problem in Aceh could be settled," Minister of Home Affairs Suryadi Soedirdja told reporters.
The Indonesian government has been hammering out efforts to die down separatist movements in its westernmost province, by granting more authority and proposing a wide ranging autonomy to the region.
Separatist movement in Aceh has been stepping up its fighting recently demanding the province's independence.
Jakarta and the leading separatist group of the Free Aceh Movement have several times reached deals on cease fire agreements and other deals on the resolution of the conflict, but so far there is no sign that the separatist movement would be abating.
Earlier, Jakarta has also agreed to allow the province to impose Islamic law of Syariah.
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