Indonesia, like many countries where Islamic jihadi cells have been uncovered, has been experimenting over the last three years with “deradicalisation” programs. While the term is poorly defined and means different things to different people, at its most basic it involves the process of persuading extremists to abandon the use of violence. It can also refer to the process of creating an environment that discourages the growth of radical movements by addressing the basic issues fuelling them, but in general, the broader the definition, the less focused the program created around it. Experience suggests that deradicalisation efforts in Indonesia, however creative, cannot be evaluated in isolation and they are likely to founder unless incorporated into a broader program of prison reform.

Tras el fin de la dictadura de Suharto, un nuevo periodo político se abrió paso en Indonesia denominado como "Reformasi" o Reforma. Esta apertura política propició la creacción de diferentes partidos políticos entre los cuales el más destacado es el Partido de la Justicia y la Prosperidad o PKS.

Peace in Aceh continues to hold but where the Yudhoyono government and many in Jakarta see a closed book with a happy ending, many Acehnese see a temporary respite from a conflict that will inevitably resume. The behaviour of many elected Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) officials and ex-combatants is part of the reason for gloom: Acehnese voters seem to have substituted one venal elite for another. Extortion, robbery and illegal logging involving ex-combatants – although they are not the only culprits – are cause for concern, and a reintegration program initially aimed at helping former fighters economically has been marred by confusion of goals, lack of strategy and lack of accountability. But unresolved issues between Aceh and Jakarta are the real time bomb, and the two sides need to establish an appropriate forum for working these out.

This report presents the findings of the BICC Project "Analysis of the implementation of DD&R in Aceh Province, Indonesia", deriving from interviews conducted with a variety of actors in Aceh in November 2006, and the analysis of secondary literature and program information.

The 15 August agreement between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) offers the best hope yet of ending a conflict that has cost over 9,000 lives since 1976. The political context is more promising than at the time of the failed 2002 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement but difficult details remain to be worked out on everything from amnesties to political participation. A number of measures need to be taken urgently, including disseminating information in Indonesian and Acehnese; coordinating the agencies working on amnesty, disarmament, reintegration, monitoring and funding; ensuring that government promises to various groups are quickly kept; preparing communities to receive returning GAM members; and protecting vulnerable groups, including those who report violations. Maintaining support in Jakarta is as important as keeping the two sides in Aceh on board.