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Abstract
This research investigates two questions: (i) how far the MoU and its implementing legislation have remedied pre-existing human-rights violations arising from the internal armed conflict; and (ii) whether the present institutional framework fulfils the MoU’s promise of sustainable post-conflict justice. Anchored in a normative juridical methodology, the study deploys statute and conceptual approaches to examine primary legal sources—inter alia the 1945 Constitution, Law No. 11/2006 on Aceh Governance, Law No. 26/2000 on Human Rights Courts—and authoritative jurisprudence, scholarly commentary and human-rights reports. Findings indicate that the MoU was pivotal in terminating hostilities, demobilising combatants and recognising Aceh’s special autonomy; however, it falls short of constituting a comprehensive justice mechanism. Persistent obstacles include the absence of a Human Rights Court seated in Banda Aceh, the circumscribed mandate and chronic under-funding of the Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission, low prosecution rates for grave abuses such as enforced disappearances, inadequate reparations for victims and uneven reintegration support for ex-combatants, women and child survivors. Consequently, the Aceh transitional-justice architecture remains fragmented, reactive and overly dependent on Jakarta’s political will. The article contends that realising the MoU’s transformative potential requires harmonising national legislation with international human-rights standards, building local institutional capacity and embedding victim-centred restorative programmes within Aceh’s broader development agenda. Strengthening these normative and institutional pillars is essential to truly convert the MoU from a mere cessation-of-violence agreement into a durable framework for restorative justice and reconciliation.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Andri Rafi Prayogo, Dodik Setiawan Nur Heriyanto
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References
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Affiat, Rizki, and Arskal Salim. “Between Rhetoric and Reality: The Failure of Vocational Training for Ex-Combatants in Aceh.” Conflict, Security & Development 18, no. 3 (2018): 225–43.
Ali Mukti, Takdir, Tulus Warsito, Sidiq Ahmadi, Bambang Cipto, and Husni Amriyanto Putra. “The Future of Peace Between Aceh and Jakarta under Helsinki Agreement 2005.” Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews 8, no. 3 (June 6, 2020): 657–64. https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2020.8370.
Amnesty International. “Indonesia: ‘Shock Therapy’: Restoring Order in Aceh 1989-1993,” July 27, 1993.
Amnesty International. “Indonesia: Systematic Abuse in Aceh in Name of ‘Restoring Order,’” July 27, 1993.
Ananta, Aris and Lee Poh Onn, eds. Aceh: A New Dawn. S.l.: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2007.
Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR). “Comparative Research on Gender & Reparations in South-East Asia: Aceh, Indonesia.” Jakarta, October 1, 2022.
Aspinall, Edward. “Peace Without Justice? The Helsinki Peace Process in Aceh.” switzerland: Geneva: Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, April 2008.
———. “The Helsinki Agreement: A More Promising Basis for Peace in Aceh?” East-West Center Washington 20 (January 1, 2005): 1–104.
———. “The Limits of Peace: The Case of Aceh, Indonesia.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 48, no. 1 (2018).
Asshiddiqie, Jimly. Hak Asasi Manusia dan Hak Warga Negara Menurut | Mahkamah Konstitusi Republik Indonesia. Jakarta: Konstitusi Press, 2010.
Budiono, Arief, Afif Faizurrahman, Afiq Muammal, M. Ikbar Nariswara, Rio Ferry Irfansyah, and Yossy Norman T. “Aceh Autonomy Policy and Qanun Post-Helsinki Agreement.” International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding 9, no. 2 (March 7, 2022): 771–76. https://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v9i2.3639.
Dewi, Kurniawati Hastuti. “Transformasi Politik Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM).” Jurnal Penelitian Politik 5, no. 1 (2008): 77–78.
Disarming the Past: Transitional Justice and Ex-Combatants. Advancing Transitional Justice. Social Science Research Council, 2010.
Djuli, Nur, and Nurdin Abdul. “The Helsinki Negotiations, a Perspective from Free Aceh Movement Negotiators.” In Reconfiguring Politics: The Indonesia-Aceh Peace Process, 28–30. London: Conciliation Resources, 2008.
Fachri, Reza and Ubaidullah. “Peranan Badan Reintegrasi Aceh Dalam Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Mantan Narapidana Politik GAM Tahun 2015-2017.” Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa FISIP Unsyiah 4, no. 2 (April 2, 2019): 1–13.
Jemadu, Aleksius. “Proses Peacebuilding Di Aceh: Dari MoU Helsinki Menuju Implementasi Undang-Undang Tentang Pemerintahan Aceh.” Indonesian Journal of International Law 3, no. 4 (October 31, 2007): 527–51. https://doi.org/10.17304/ijil.vol3.4.4.
Jiwon, Suh. “Preemptive Transitional Justice Policies in Aceh, Indonesia.” Southeast Asian Studies 4, no. 1 (April 2015): 95–124.
Kamaruzzaman, Suraiya. Women and the Politics of Gender in Post-Conflict Aceh. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing, 2020.
Kell, Tim. The Roots of Acehnese Rebellion, 1989-1992. Ithica, N.Y: Cornell Modern Indonesia Project, Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University, 1995.
Kent, Lia, and Rizki Amalia Affiat. “Transitional Justice and Political Settlement: GAM and the KKR Aceh.” In Resisting Indonesia’s Culture of Impunity: Aceh’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, edited by Jess Melvin null Sri Lestari Wahyuningroem, Annie Pohlman, 1st ed., 1:87–107. Australia: ANU Press, 2023.
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Kontras. “26 Tahun Pasca Pencabutan Status DOM Aceh, Keadilan bagi Korban Masih dalam Angan-angan.” Komisi untuk orang hilang dan korban tindak kekerasan, August 2024.
Lu, Catherine. Justice and Reconciliation in World Politics. First paperback edition. Vol. 10. Cambridge Studies in International Relations 145. NY: Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Majelis Adat Aceh. “Konsep Peusijuek pada Masyarakat Aceh.” Indonesia: Majelis Adat Aceh, 2013.
Manan, Abdul, Rasyad Rasyad, Iping Rahmat Saputra, Sa’i Sa’i, Anwar Daud, Zulfa Tuffahati, and Ibrahim Champion. “Morality and Immorality in Politics in Aceh Post 2005 MoU Helsinki (A Case Study on the Relevance of Actions Compared with Peace Promises).” Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun 12, no. 3 (September 30, 2024): 1311–34. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v12i3.1295.
Marzuki, Mahmud. Penelitian Hukum: Edisi Revisi. Jakarta: Prenada Media, 2017.
Nur Aziz, Dian Andi, Al Khanif, Mimin Dwi Hartono, and Ade Angelia Yusniar Marbun. “Examining Qanun in Aceh from a Human Rights Perspective: Status, Substance and Impact on Vulnerable Groups and Minorities.” Ijtihad : Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam Dan Kemanusiaan 23, no. 1 (June 5, 2023): 37–56. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijtihad.v23i1.37-56.
Rathner, Juergen, and Peter Hazdra. “The Aceh Monitoring Mission – an Innovative Approach to DDR.” Austrian Ministry of Defence, 2006, 103–11.
Redaksi Waspada Aceh. “Janji Pembagian Lahan untuk Eks Kombatan Belum Menjawab Rasa Keadilan, LSM Beri Rekomendasi.” Waspada Aceh, 2024.
Sahruddin, Sahruddin, Mudiyati Rahmatunnisa, Yusa Djuyandi, and Muradi Muradi. “Conflict Dynamics among Former Elites of the Free Aceh Movement after the Helsinki Agreement: A Case Study of Regional Head Elections in Aceh.” Research Journal in Advanced Humanities 5, no. 4 (September 13, 2024). https://doi.org/10.58256/we83cc33.
Schulze, E. Kirsten. “Mission Not So Impossible The Aceh Monitoring Mission and Lessons Learned for the EU.” Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, July 2007.
Schulze, Kirsten E. “Mission Not so Impossible: The AMM and the Transition from Conflict to Peace in Aceh, 2005–2006.” S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies 131 (2007): 1–64.
Sekretariat Komnas HAM di Provinsi. “Perlindungan Saksi dan Korban Sebagai Bagian dari Perlindungan HAM,” November 30, 2023.
Soekanto, Soerjono, and Sri Mamudji. Penelitian hukum normatif : suatu tinjauan singkat. 340,072 SOE p. London: Rajawali, 2003.
Sriwidodo, Lukman Dwi Hadi Putra. “Pertanggungjawaban Negara Dalam Penyelesaian Kasus Pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia yang Berat Di Aceh Melalui Mekanisme Komisi Kebenaran dan Rekonsiliasi Aceh.” Jurist-Diction 3, no. 6 (November 2, 2020): 2261. https://doi.org/10.20473/jd.v3i6.22971.
Sustikarini, Amalia. “Financing Peace: Special Autonomy Fund as a Peace Dividend in Aceh, Indonesia.” JAS (Journal of ASEAN Studies) 7, no. 2 (December 31, 2019): 99–121. https://doi.org/10.21512/jas.v7i2.5787.
Suwardi, Anna Christi. “Peran Gerakan Perempuan dalam Reintegrasi Perempuan Eks-Kombatan Pasca Konflik: Studi Atas Liga Inong Aceh (LINA).” Jurnal Hubungan Internasional 4, no. 1 (August 22, 2015): 12–22. https://doi.org/10.18196/hi.2015.0062.12-22.
Syuib, Muhammad, and Desi Hasnawati. “Implementasi Qanun Aceh Nomor 17 Tahun 2013 tentang Komisi Kebenaran dan Rekonsiliasi Aceh Pasca 15 Tahun MoU Helsinki.” Legitimasi: Jurnal Hukum Pidana dan Politik Hukum 11, no. 1 (August 16, 2022): 117. https://doi.org/10.22373/legitimasi.v11i1.13463.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). “Human Development Report 2020.” The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene. New York: United Nations, December 15, 2020.
Wahyuningroem, Sri Lestari. “From State to Civil Society: Transitional Justice and Democratization in Indonesia.” The Australian National University, 2018. https://doi.org/10.25911/5D612148A6DF8.
———. “Towards Post-Transitional Justice.” Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights 3, no. 1 (June 30, 2019): 124. https://doi.org/10.19184/jseahr.v3i1.11497.
Wiebelhaus-Brahm, Eric. Truth Commissions and Transitional Societies. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2010. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203862025.
Yusmalinda, Yusmalinda, Syawaluddin Ismail, Muhammad Rusdi Bin Muhammadiah, Muhammad Firdaus, and Muhazir Muhazir. “Islam dan Sosial Kontrol: Menelisik Penerapan Syariat Islam di Aceh.” Jurnal EL-QANUNIY: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Kesyariahan dan Pranata Sosial 9, no. 1 (July 6, 2023): 145–61. https://doi.org/10.24952/el-qanuniy.v9i1.7711.
References
Abdul Manan. “Penyelesaian Pelanggaran HAM Berat Masa Lalu oleh Komisi Kebenaran dan Rekonsiliasi di Indonesia.” Jurnal Ius Quia Iustum 22, no. 1 (2015): 1–21.
Affiat, Rizki, and Arskal Salim. “Between Rhetoric and Reality: The Failure of Vocational Training for Ex-Combatants in Aceh.” Conflict, Security & Development 18, no. 3 (2018): 225–43.
Ali Mukti, Takdir, Tulus Warsito, Sidiq Ahmadi, Bambang Cipto, and Husni Amriyanto Putra. “The Future of Peace Between Aceh and Jakarta under Helsinki Agreement 2005.” Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews 8, no. 3 (June 6, 2020): 657–64. https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2020.8370.
Amnesty International. “Indonesia: ‘Shock Therapy’: Restoring Order in Aceh 1989-1993,” July 27, 1993.
Amnesty International. “Indonesia: Systematic Abuse in Aceh in Name of ‘Restoring Order,’” July 27, 1993.
Ananta, Aris and Lee Poh Onn, eds. Aceh: A New Dawn. S.l.: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2007.
Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR). “Comparative Research on Gender & Reparations in South-East Asia: Aceh, Indonesia.” Jakarta, October 1, 2022.
Aspinall, Edward. “Peace Without Justice? The Helsinki Peace Process in Aceh.” switzerland: Geneva: Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, April 2008.
———. “The Helsinki Agreement: A More Promising Basis for Peace in Aceh?” East-West Center Washington 20 (January 1, 2005): 1–104.
———. “The Limits of Peace: The Case of Aceh, Indonesia.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 48, no. 1 (2018).
Asshiddiqie, Jimly. Hak Asasi Manusia dan Hak Warga Negara Menurut | Mahkamah Konstitusi Republik Indonesia. Jakarta: Konstitusi Press, 2010.
Budiono, Arief, Afif Faizurrahman, Afiq Muammal, M. Ikbar Nariswara, Rio Ferry Irfansyah, and Yossy Norman T. “Aceh Autonomy Policy and Qanun Post-Helsinki Agreement.” International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding 9, no. 2 (March 7, 2022): 771–76. https://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v9i2.3639.
Dewi, Kurniawati Hastuti. “Transformasi Politik Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM).” Jurnal Penelitian Politik 5, no. 1 (2008): 77–78.
Disarming the Past: Transitional Justice and Ex-Combatants. Advancing Transitional Justice. Social Science Research Council, 2010.
Djuli, Nur, and Nurdin Abdul. “The Helsinki Negotiations, a Perspective from Free Aceh Movement Negotiators.” In Reconfiguring Politics: The Indonesia-Aceh Peace Process, 28–30. London: Conciliation Resources, 2008.
Fachri, Reza and Ubaidullah. “Peranan Badan Reintegrasi Aceh Dalam Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Mantan Narapidana Politik GAM Tahun 2015-2017.” Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa FISIP Unsyiah 4, no. 2 (April 2, 2019): 1–13.
Jemadu, Aleksius. “Proses Peacebuilding Di Aceh: Dari MoU Helsinki Menuju Implementasi Undang-Undang Tentang Pemerintahan Aceh.” Indonesian Journal of International Law 3, no. 4 (October 31, 2007): 527–51. https://doi.org/10.17304/ijil.vol3.4.4.
Jiwon, Suh. “Preemptive Transitional Justice Policies in Aceh, Indonesia.” Southeast Asian Studies 4, no. 1 (April 2015): 95–124.
Kamaruzzaman, Suraiya. Women and the Politics of Gender in Post-Conflict Aceh. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing, 2020.
Kell, Tim. The Roots of Acehnese Rebellion, 1989-1992. Ithica, N.Y: Cornell Modern Indonesia Project, Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University, 1995.
Kent, Lia, and Rizki Amalia Affiat. “Transitional Justice and Political Settlement: GAM and the KKR Aceh.” In Resisting Indonesia’s Culture of Impunity: Aceh’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, edited by Jess Melvin null Sri Lestari Wahyuningroem, Annie Pohlman, 1st ed., 1:87–107. Australia: ANU Press, 2023.
Komisi Kebenaran dan Rekonsiliasi Aceh (KKR Aceh). “Peulara Damèe: Merawat Perdamaian – Laporan Temuan KKR Aceh.” Banda Aceh, 2023.
Kontras. “26 Tahun Pasca Pencabutan Status DOM Aceh, Keadilan bagi Korban Masih dalam Angan-angan.” Komisi untuk orang hilang dan korban tindak kekerasan, August 2024.
Lu, Catherine. Justice and Reconciliation in World Politics. First paperback edition. Vol. 10. Cambridge Studies in International Relations 145. NY: Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Majelis Adat Aceh. “Konsep Peusijuek pada Masyarakat Aceh.” Indonesia: Majelis Adat Aceh, 2013.
Manan, Abdul, Rasyad Rasyad, Iping Rahmat Saputra, Sa’i Sa’i, Anwar Daud, Zulfa Tuffahati, and Ibrahim Champion. “Morality and Immorality in Politics in Aceh Post 2005 MoU Helsinki (A Case Study on the Relevance of Actions Compared with Peace Promises).” Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun 12, no. 3 (September 30, 2024): 1311–34. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v12i3.1295.
Marzuki, Mahmud. Penelitian Hukum: Edisi Revisi. Jakarta: Prenada Media, 2017.
Nur Aziz, Dian Andi, Al Khanif, Mimin Dwi Hartono, and Ade Angelia Yusniar Marbun. “Examining Qanun in Aceh from a Human Rights Perspective: Status, Substance and Impact on Vulnerable Groups and Minorities.” Ijtihad : Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam Dan Kemanusiaan 23, no. 1 (June 5, 2023): 37–56. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijtihad.v23i1.37-56.
Rathner, Juergen, and Peter Hazdra. “The Aceh Monitoring Mission – an Innovative Approach to DDR.” Austrian Ministry of Defence, 2006, 103–11.
Redaksi Waspada Aceh. “Janji Pembagian Lahan untuk Eks Kombatan Belum Menjawab Rasa Keadilan, LSM Beri Rekomendasi.” Waspada Aceh, 2024.
Sahruddin, Sahruddin, Mudiyati Rahmatunnisa, Yusa Djuyandi, and Muradi Muradi. “Conflict Dynamics among Former Elites of the Free Aceh Movement after the Helsinki Agreement: A Case Study of Regional Head Elections in Aceh.” Research Journal in Advanced Humanities 5, no. 4 (September 13, 2024). https://doi.org/10.58256/we83cc33.
Schulze, E. Kirsten. “Mission Not So Impossible The Aceh Monitoring Mission and Lessons Learned for the EU.” Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, July 2007.
Schulze, Kirsten E. “Mission Not so Impossible: The AMM and the Transition from Conflict to Peace in Aceh, 2005–2006.” S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies 131 (2007): 1–64.
Sekretariat Komnas HAM di Provinsi. “Perlindungan Saksi dan Korban Sebagai Bagian dari Perlindungan HAM,” November 30, 2023.
Soekanto, Soerjono, and Sri Mamudji. Penelitian hukum normatif : suatu tinjauan singkat. 340,072 SOE p. London: Rajawali, 2003.
Sriwidodo, Lukman Dwi Hadi Putra. “Pertanggungjawaban Negara Dalam Penyelesaian Kasus Pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia yang Berat Di Aceh Melalui Mekanisme Komisi Kebenaran dan Rekonsiliasi Aceh.” Jurist-Diction 3, no. 6 (November 2, 2020): 2261. https://doi.org/10.20473/jd.v3i6.22971.
Sustikarini, Amalia. “Financing Peace: Special Autonomy Fund as a Peace Dividend in Aceh, Indonesia.” JAS (Journal of ASEAN Studies) 7, no. 2 (December 31, 2019): 99–121. https://doi.org/10.21512/jas.v7i2.5787.
Suwardi, Anna Christi. “Peran Gerakan Perempuan dalam Reintegrasi Perempuan Eks-Kombatan Pasca Konflik: Studi Atas Liga Inong Aceh (LINA).” Jurnal Hubungan Internasional 4, no. 1 (August 22, 2015): 12–22. https://doi.org/10.18196/hi.2015.0062.12-22.
Syuib, Muhammad, and Desi Hasnawati. “Implementasi Qanun Aceh Nomor 17 Tahun 2013 tentang Komisi Kebenaran dan Rekonsiliasi Aceh Pasca 15 Tahun MoU Helsinki.” Legitimasi: Jurnal Hukum Pidana dan Politik Hukum 11, no. 1 (August 16, 2022): 117. https://doi.org/10.22373/legitimasi.v11i1.13463.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). “Human Development Report 2020.” The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene. New York: United Nations, December 15, 2020.
Wahyuningroem, Sri Lestari. “From State to Civil Society: Transitional Justice and Democratization in Indonesia.” The Australian National University, 2018. https://doi.org/10.25911/5D612148A6DF8.
———. “Towards Post-Transitional Justice.” Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights 3, no. 1 (June 30, 2019): 124. https://doi.org/10.19184/jseahr.v3i1.11497.
Wiebelhaus-Brahm, Eric. Truth Commissions and Transitional Societies. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2010. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203862025.
Yusmalinda, Yusmalinda, Syawaluddin Ismail, Muhammad Rusdi Bin Muhammadiah, Muhammad Firdaus, and Muhazir Muhazir. “Islam dan Sosial Kontrol: Menelisik Penerapan Syariat Islam di Aceh.” Jurnal EL-QANUNIY: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Kesyariahan dan Pranata Sosial 9, no. 1 (July 6, 2023): 145–61. https://doi.org/10.24952/el-qanuniy.v9i1.7711.