Free Aceh (Aceh Merdeka) Free Aceh Movement [Gerakin Aceh Merdeka (GAM)]

Aceh, located in the northern tip of Sumatra, is considered one of Indonesia's three most "troubled areas" along with East Timor and Irian Jaya. The Aceh Merdeka (Free Aceh) movement has been fighting for a independent and Islamic state in Aceh since the 1970s.

Aceh, also known as Acheh, Atjeh or Achin, is the westernmost part of Sumatra and the part of Indonesia where the Islamic character of the population is the most pronounced. The Acehnese demand for autonomy, expressed in support for the 1950s Darul Islam rebellion, was partially met by the central government's acceptance of a "special region" status for the province in 1959, allowing a higher-than-usual official Indonesian respect for Islamic law and custom. This special region status, together with growing prosperity, brought Aceh into the Indonesian mainstream. This change was reflected in the growing support among Acehnese for the central government, as indicated by votes for Golkar in national elections. In 1971, Golkar won 49 percent of the region's vote; in 1977, 41 percent; and in 1982, 37 percent. By 1987, however, with 51.8 percent of the vote, Golkar obtained its first majority, increasing it in 1992 to 57 percent.

Separatists who sought to establish an independent Islamic state in the Special Region of Aceh in northern Sumatra and combined their religious and nationalist appeal with exploitation of social and economic pressures and discontent, continued to cause unrest in portions of the region. Many Acehnese perceived themselves as disadvantaged in Aceh's major industrial development projects because income flowed out of the region to the center, and outsiders--especially from Java--were perceived as receiving better employment opportunities and the economic benefits of industrialization than did the resident Acehnese. A criminal element involved in cannabis cultivation and trafficking and other illicit activities was also involved in the unrest.

During the early 1990s, the idea of an independent Islamic state was kept alive by the Free Aceh (Aceh Merdeka) movement, known to the central government as the Aceh Security Disturbance Movement (GPK). Thought to have been crushed in the mid-1970s, the guerrilla campaign of the insurgents, under the leadership of European-based Hasan di Tiro and with Libyan support, renewed its hit-and-run warfare in the late 1980s, hoping to build on economic and social grievances as well as on Islamism. But moderately pro-Golkar 1992 election results suggested there was no widespread alienation in Aceh.

Aceh was put under Operational Military status in 1991 after a resurgence of separatist activity. Special permission is necessary for foreign journalists to travel to Aceh. Indonesian Armed Forces [ABRI] reacted with crushing force and, as it sought to root out the separatists, civil-military relations were imperiled. Soldiers fighting separatists have been accused of human rights abuses. Rights groups, citing local residents, say military abuses have involved abductions, tortures, rapes and mass killings.

As of late 1996 the Government claimed that the "Aceh Merdeka" movement had been eliminated, although Aceh was still officially listed as one of Indonesia's three "trouble spots" (along with East Timor and Irian Jaya), and the Government issued public calls for the "rebels" to come home to their families. The Aceh Merdeka movement still exists, but its activities were underground as of 1996. Early in 1998, several caches of foreign arms were discovered, which raised the fear of separatist rebellion developing in Aceh. The incident resulted in the arrest of suspected rebels who were imprisoned and threatened with torture. In addition, criminal suspects continue to be shot and killed by police in suspicious circumstances and disappearances and extrajudicial executions of alleged political opponents occur often. On 07 August 1999 armed forces chief General Wiranto announced a troop pullout and apologized for any excesses. With the revocation of the military operations area status, said Wiranto, the term "security-disturbing movement" (GPK) [government terminology for the Acehnese Muslim-oriented separatist rebels] is no longer relevant, and will be replaced by the term "unauthorized agitation movement" (GPL) or an agitation movement named after its leader.

WI-Gov: Doyle Won't Seek Third Term

Big news out of Wisconsin:

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has told associates he will announce this week that he won't seek a third term in 2010, POLITICO has learned.

By deciding against a run, Doyle, a Democrat, sets off what could be one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the country next year. [...]

But sources familiar with his decision not to seek a third term say Doyle recognized the difficulties he may have faced next year and didn't want to go through another campaign after a long political career.

This race was already shaping up to be a pretty competitive one (SSP recently downgraded this race to Lean Dem), and a pair of legit GOP challengers have already stepped up to the plate: Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and ex-Rep. Mark Neumann. Topping the list of Democratic prospects is the current Lt. Governor, Barbara Lawton. However, Politico speculates that she may enter the Dem primary as the incumbent, as Doyle has long been rumored as a potential recipient of an Obama administration appointment. That might be a double-edged sword for Lawton -- yeah, incumbency usually is a powerful attribute, but incumbent governors are facing an unusual level of unpopularity across the nation this year. As Governor, she may have to make some hard choices that will only serve as baggage in 2010.

Other potential Dem candidates, highlighted by the Politico, include Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Rep. Ron Kind and state Sen. Jon Erpenbach.

Special thanks to desmoinesdem for getting the discussion started in the diaries.

Bob Dylan Picked Up by Police

Legendary musician Bob Dylan had a brush with the police last month in New Jersey. Long Branch police officer Kristie Buble responded to a call about an “eccentric-looking old man” in a residential neighborhood. Buble approached the man and questioned him. He had no ID, and said he was Bob Dylan and was checking out a house that had a “for sale” sign. Buble later said,

“Now, I’ve seen pictures of Bob Dylan from a long time ago and he didn’t look like Bob Dylan to me at all. He was wearing black sweatpants tucked into black rain boots, and two raincoats with the hood pulled down over his head.

Buble decided to humor the old man who didn’t know the address of where he was staying, and gave him a ride to the hotel he described. There were tour buses parked there, and entourage members vouched for Dylan’s identity. They went so far as to produce his passport for the officer.

A police department source said Buble had taken her share of good-natured ribbing from some of the older officers.

“To really appreciate the story from our end, you have to see Kristie,” one cop said. “She looks like a 16-year-old kid, next to this living legend. It was unbelievable.”

Whole Foods CEO Angers Customers With Health Care Views

Memo to Whole Foods CEO John Mackey: when much of your customer base consists of reusable-bag-using, wheatgrass-munching "progressive" types, it's probably not such a good idea to publish an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal criticizing current health care reform proposals. At least if you don't want said customers organizing boycotts of your stores.

It all started with Mackey's Tuesday WSJ op-ed, which suggested, among other things, that the health insurance options provided to Whole Foods employees should be a more popular option to control health care costs, tort reform should be enacted to control health care costs, and that the government shouldn't dictate to insurance companies what diseases and treatments they should cover. Oh, yeah, and that our country wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if more people shopped at Whole Foods:

Recent scientific and medical evidence shows that a diet consisting of foods that are plant-based, nutrient dense and low-fat will help prevent and often reverse most degenerative diseases that kill us and are expensive to treat. We should be able to live largely disease-free lives until we are well into our 90s and even past 100 years of age.

Customers were a little, um, riled. Blogs, including political heavy hitters like Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos and Huffington Post jumped right on the story, and calls for a boycott came soon after. The Boycott Whole Foods Group on Facebook says in its description:

Whole Foods is NOT a company that cares for communities and they have built their brand with the dollars of deceived progressives. No more. My $ will no longer go to support Whole Foods' anti-union, anti-health insurance reform, right-wing activities.

Well, at least this time Mackey isn't trolling anonymously on the Internet. A conspiracy-minded reader pointed out to us that he sold almost $1.4 million worth of Whole Foods stock a week before the piece ran. Coincidence, we're sure.

(Photo: AlishaV)