Twelve years have passed since the Helsinki Agreement was signed in 2005. This agreement marked the beginning of peace in Aceh following a protracted conflict dating back to the 1950s. However, true peace will not be achieved unless cases of violence and human rights violations are brought to light, and the victims’ rights to heal from trauma and rebuild their lives are fulfilled and protected. This is why the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) is necessary. The Helsinki Agreement, signed on August 15, 2005, mandated the establishment of the Aceh KKR to uncover the truth regarding various cases of human rights violations that had occurred. As a demonstration of the State’s commitment, the provisions of the Helsinki Agreement were subsequently incorporated into Law No. 11 of 2006 on the Government of Aceh (Aceh Government Law).

Along the way, the establishment of the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh) faced numerous obstacles. Aceh Qanun No. 17 of 2013 on the KKR Aceh was only issued seven years after the enactment of the Aceh Special Autonomy Law. The KKR Aceh was only able to begin its work on October 24, 2016, after Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah swore in its seven commissioners. Not only that, but more than a year after the establishment of the Aceh KKR, the Aceh government had still not issued regulations regarding the operations and secretariat of the Aceh KKR. The central government has also never expressed its support for the work of the Aceh KKR. In fact, the Ministry of Home Affairs had questioned and intended to evaluate the legitimacy of the Aceh KKR.

That is why the Tifa Foundation supports the work of the civil society consortium in Aceh in its efforts to monitor the work of the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh) through the establishment of internal mechanisms, the development of a work plan blueprint, and the empowerment of victim groups and the community so that they can participate in the work of the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh).

Civil society collaboration

Syafirah Hardani, Program Officer at the Tifa Foundation for Law Enforcement and Judicial Reform, revealed that there are numerous obstacles in the truth-seeking process, which is the mandate of the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh). For example, to date, the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh) has not yet established internal institutional regulations. Furthermore, many state institutions—including local governments at the village and customary levels—as well as victims, their families, and civil society organizations in Aceh still do not fully understand the operational mechanisms of the KKR Aceh or the truth-revealing process.

“For that reason, civil society organizations must step in and work together to address each of these issues,” he said. As an institution that remains committed to fighting for justice, the Tifa Foundation also supports the work of a number of local and national civil society organizations that are members of the Aceh Coalition for Truth (KPK), such as the Banda Aceh Legal Aid Institute (LBH), KontraS Aceh, Asia Justice and Human Rights (AJAR), and KontraS.

Mustiqal Syah Putra, Director of LBH Banda Aceh, stated that LBH Banda Aceh will assist identified victims in forming a community of victims or joining an existing one. They will also organize regular discussions on transitional justice, while introducing and raising awareness about the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh). “Knowledge about transitional justice and the KKR Aceh is crucial so that victims can prepare themselves for truth-telling and reconciliation,” said Mustiqal.

In addition, another equally important task is to prepare KKR Aceh staff who are responsible for facilitating regular community discussions among victims, documenting victims’ accounts of the human rights violations they have experienced, and ensuring that mechanisms are in place to protect witnesses and victims. These activists will receive training based on the transitional justice training curriculum developed by LBH Banda Aceh.

Meanwhile, KontraS Aceh has focused its efforts on strengthening the institutional capacity of the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh) by assisting in the development of the KKR Aceh Strategic Plan for 2016–2021, including the drafting of guidelines and standard operating procedures to help the KKR Aceh operate in accordance with its mandate and authority. “This is important so that the Aceh KKR can become a strong and independent institution, capable of delivering justice to the victims,” said Hendra Saputra, Coordinator of KontraS Aceh.

Meanwhile, AJAR and KontraS Jakarta are focusing their efforts on advocacy at the national level. AJAR will take on the role of establishing a central database on human rights violations. Eventually, the data system built by AJAR will serve as the foundation for the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh) to analyze patterns of violence occurring in Aceh and, together with the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) and the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), design referral mechanisms and address the urgent needs of victims. Meanwhile, KontraS Jakarta will maximize the advocacy process by conducting a series of studies and analyses of legal instruments and documents related to the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh), while holding various discussions regarding the results of these analyses with civil society and government representatives.

“We hope that KontraS’s series of initiatives will attract the attention and support of the central government and the House of Representatives, whether in the form of legislation or political commitments, in order to strengthen the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” said Feri Kusuma, Head of the Impunity Monitoring Division at KontraS Jakarta.

The existence of the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR Aceh) is crucial to helping Aceh build and sustain peace. This is because truth-telling and recognition of the victims are key to healing the trauma of the past and fostering reconciliation. Therefore, the State has a responsibility to support the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission as part of its political mandate to achieve justice and peace in Aceh.