The kidnapping led to the killing of two members of the TNI in the interior of North Aceh and the disappearance of a member of the Sawang Koramil, making the atmosphere in Aceh feel like a period of armed conflict. Soldiers and police combed the interior, military vehicle traffic on the highway, and police sweeping at some points, all very close to the memory of the Acehnese people. Memories full of wounds that actually don't want to happen again. Violence against military officers is expected not to damage the peace felt by the people over the past 10 years.
Listening to the conversations of the Acehnese people in the coffee shop about the violence, there are similar concerns about the recurrence of periods of armed conflict. Traumatic experiences are not easy to crack. Gunshots, kidnappings, and killings of civilians, extortion, arson, disrupted social and economic activities, still, haunt the people of Aceh after a decade of armed conflict.
There is an assumption in the community, that Aceh will never be safe for more than 10 years. After the Indonesian Government's Peace Agreement with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on 15 August, 2005 in Helsinki, Finland, the Acehnese were concerned that a new armed conflict would emerge. And the murder of the North Aceh 0103 Military District Command (Kodim) was the trigger.
Old pattern
Community concerns are well-founded. Looking back on the events of early 1999, military operations in Aceh were held shortly after seven TNI members were kidnapped and then killed by armed groups in Lhok Nibong, East Aceh. After TNI soldiers were killed, efforts to search for suspected perpetrators cost too many humanitarian costs because many civilians later became victims. The law did not work, and many police were victims of unknown shootings and sector police offices in several remote sub-districts were subjected to arson. The culprit was almost never arrested.
If you look further back, the people of Aceh also have similar references, when there were 22 military weapons firing at Buloh Blang Ara, North Aceh, in May 1990. The action also led to military operations in Aceh. Armed resistance is always overcome by military action which is not always effective in the field. The fall of casualties on the civilian side actually made Indonesia at the time of the world spotlight due to alleged violations of human rights (HAM).
The current political conditions are indeed far different. However, the military emergency that occurred earlier was precisely when the PDI-P was in power and Megawati served as president. Despite having vowed never to shed the blood of the Acehnese again, the fact is that military operations took place during the Megawati administration. At present, the president is not Megawati, but the Acehnese are waiting for whether President Joko Widodo, who was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), chose the old way to resolve armed violence in Aceh. Some military officials at that time, now sit as ministers.
Don't be provoked
The Aceh Government and the ulama leaders were quick to respond to the incident with a soothing plea that the Acehnese would not be easily provoked. Contemporary armed conflict in 1998 took place partly because the government and Acehnese leaders at that time allowed the floating conditions so that the situation developed increasingly worse and out of control. At the same time, the condition of the Central Government was very fragile in the presence of riots which neglected the conditions in the area. The police and the TNI were hesitant to take action so that allegations of omission (by omission) emerged to expand armed conflict in Aceh.
A number of mass media in Aceh quickly responded to this condition by broadcasting an appeal from the Aceh government and a number of ulama leaders so that the people were not easily provoked. Whoever is the perpetrator of violence against two members of the TNI, regardless of their motives, should not make conflicts then widen and ask for casualties from civilians. There are still many armed groups in Aceh. People are encouraged to remain calm, not to be affected by oblique issues which are not clear sources.
Police officers must also immediately reveal the perpetrators of violence against two members of the TNI as well as various other cases of violence that are increasingly troubling the Acehnese people. The PR of the police in Aceh is increasing with this incident. If there are many cases not revealed, suspicion will easily emerge and can lead Aceh to a dark past conflict situation. Appeals from anyone - it is said that in the midst of lower public trust in the government - will have no impact without the support of concrete actions in the field. []
Sinyal Konflik Aceh
Penculikan berujung pembunuhan dua anggota TNI di pedalaman Aceh Utara dan hilangnya seorang anggota Koramil Sawang, membuat suasana di Aceh terasa seperti masa-masa konflik bersenjata. Tentara dan polisi menyisir daerah pedalaman, lalu lintas kendaraan militer di jalan raya, dan sweeping kepolisian di beberapa titik, semunya sangat dekat dengan memori rakyat Aceh. Kenangan penuh luka yang sebenarnya tak ingin terulang kembali. Kekerasan terhadap aparat militer diharapkan tidak sampai merusak kedamaian yang dirasakan rakyat selama 10 tahun terakhir.
Menyimak pembicaraan masyarakat Aceh di warung kopi mengenai kekerasan itu, terdapat kekhawatiran sama akan terulangnya masa-masa konflik bersenjata. Pengalaman traumatis tidak mudah lekang begitu saja. Baku-tembak, penculikan dan pembunuhan warga sipil, pemerasan, pembakaran, aktivitas sosial dan ekonomi yang terganggu, masih menghantui rakyat Aceh setelah satu dekade konflik bersenjata berakhir.
Ada anggapan di kalangan masyarakat, bahwa Aceh tidak akan pernah aman lebih dari 10 tahun. Setelah Perjanjian Damai Pemerintah Indonesia dengan Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) pada 15 Agustus 2005 di Helsinki, Firlandia, masyarakat Aceh mengkhawatirkan akan muncul konflik bersenjata baru. Dan pembunuhan anggota Komando Distrik Militer (Kodim) 0103 Aceh Utara itu sebagai pemicunya.
Pola lama
Kekhawatiran masyarakat memang beralasan. Menilik kembali kejadian awal 1999, operasi militer di Aceh digelar tak lama setelah tujuh anggota TNI diculik dan lalu dibunuh kelompok bersenjata di Lhok Nibong, Aceh Timur. Setelah prajurit TNI terbunuh, upaya pencarian tersangka pelaku menuntut biaya kemanusiaan yang terlalu banyak karena banyak warga sipil kemudian ikut menjadi korban. Hukum saat itu tidak berjalan, bahkan banyak polisi menjadi korban penembakan orang tak dikenal dan kantor polisi sektor di beberapa kecamatan terpencil menjadi sasaran pembakaran. Pelakunya nyaris tidak pernah ditangkap.
Jika melihat lebih jauh ke belakang, masyarakat Aceh juga memiliki referensi serupa, tatkala terjadi perampasan 22 pucuk senjata api militer TNI di Buloh Blang Ara, Aceh Utara, pada Mei 1990. Aksi tersebut juga berujung dengan operasi militer di Aceh. Perlawanan bersenjata selalu diatasi dengan aksi militer yang ternyata tidak selamanya efektif di lapangan. Jatuhnya korban di pihak sipil malah membuat Indonesia ketika itu menjadi sorotan dunia karena dugaan pelanggaran hak azasi manusia (HAM).
Kondisi politik saat ini memang sudah jauh berbeda. Namun, darurat militer yang terjadi sebelumnya justru ketika PDI Perjuangan berkuasa dan Megawati menjabat sebagai presiden. Meski sudah pernah bersumpah untuk tidak akan lagi menumpahkan darah rakyat Aceh, faktanya operasi militer justru terjadi di masa pemerintahan Megawati. Saat ini, presidennya memang bukan Megawati, tetapi rakyat Aceh menunggu apakah Presiden Joko Widodo yang dicalonkan PDI Perjuangan memilih cara lama dalam menyelesaikan kekerasan bersenjata di Aceh. Beberapa petinggi militer masa itu, kini duduk sebagai menteri.
Jangan terprovokasi
Pemerintah Aceh dan para tokoh ulama terbilang cepat merespon kejadian tersebut dengan imbauan menyejukkan agar rakyat Aceh tidak mudah terprovokasi. Konflik bersenjata kontemporer pada 1998, terjadi antara lain karena pemerintah dan tokoh Aceh saat itu membiarkan kondisi mengambang tersebut sehingga situasi berkembang semakin buruk dan tak terkendalikan. Saat yang sama, kondisi pemerintah Pusat sangat rapuh dengan adanya kerusuhan sehingga abai terhadap kondisi di daerah. Polisi dan TNI ragu-ragu untuk menindak sehingga muncul dugaan adanya pembiaran (by omission) terhadap meluaskan konflik bersenjata di Aceh.
Sejumlah media massa di Aceh, cepat menanggapi kondisi ini dengan menyiarkan imbauan pemerintah Aceh dan sejumlah tokoh ulama agar rakyat tidak mudah terprovokasi. Siapa pun pelaku kekerasan terhadap dua anggota TNI, apa pun motifnya, jangan sampai membuat konflik kemudian melebar dan meminta korban dari kalangan sipil. Komplotan bersenjata api masih banyak di Aceh. Masyarakat diimbau tetap tenang, tidak terpengaruh dengan isu-isu miring yang tidak jelas sumbernya.
Aparat kepolisian juga harus segera mengungkapkan pelaku kekerasan terhadap dua anggota TNI dan juga berbagai kasus kekerasan lainnya yang semakin meresahkan masyarakat Aceh. PR kepolisian di Aceh semakin banyak dengan kejadian tersebut. Jika dibiarkan banyak kasus tidak terungkap, kecurigaan akan mudah muncul dan bisa menggiring Aceh pada situasi konflik masa lalu yang kelam. Imbauan dari siapa pun – konon lagi di tengah kepercayaan masyarakat kepada pemerintah kian rendah – tidak akan berdampak apa-apa tanpa dukungan tindakan nyata di lapangan.[]
