Aceh's Peace Process and Natural Resource Revenue Sharing Experiences and Solutions - Lessons Learnt for Balochistan (Pakistan)

August 11, 2009 | Bali, Indonesia

During PGA's Provincial Seminar on HIV/AIDS in Peshwar, Pakistan (April 2007), Chair, National Group Pakistan, Dr. Noor Jehan Panezai, MP, and PGA Secretary-General Ms. Shazia Rafi held a strategy meeting with the Baluchistan Assembly delegation to plan the last provincial seminar.

At that meeting, the Baluch delegation asked PGA to provide lessons-learned from its international network of other countries facing similar issues on peace and development. In May 2009 Chair, Pakistan National Group Hon. Naveed Qamar and Chair, Indonesia National Group, Hon. Theo Sambuaga held deliberations with Secretary-General Rafi to proceed with a bilateral dialogue on the Aceh peace process.

On August 11, 2009, PGA held an informal Bilateral Dialogue in Bali, Indonesia on Aceh's Conflict solving and Revenue Sharing Experiences: Lessons for Balochistan, Pakistan which brought together a group of legislators from the Balochistan province of Pakistan and two MPs from Indonesia who have been involved in and are well versed in the situation in Aceh, Indonesia.

The main purpose of this dialogue was to allow the Members of Parliament present from Indonesia to share with their counterparts from Pakistan, drawn primarily from the province of Baluchistan, their respective past valuable experiences in connection with the peace process negotiations in Aceh, in particular the terms of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding.

Similar to Aceh, the province of Baluchistan is rich in gas/oil reserves but the proper development thereof has been hampered in different ways over the past 30 years. It is well informed and experienced politicians in Pakistan who offer the best hope for identifying a lasting solution in Baluchistan, in particular on the thorny issue of resource sharing, an issue that is common to Aceh and one that was clearly addressed in the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding.

The Delegation from Pakistan consisted of the following Members of Parliament:

• Dr. Donya Aziz, MP, Pakistan, Member, PGA Executive Committee & Chair of Bilateral Dialogue

• Mr. S. A. Khan, MP, Provincial Minister of Education, Baluchistan

• Mr. Ain-ullah Shams, MP, Provincial Minister of Health, Baluchistan

• Mr. Muhamed Nawaz, MP, Baluchistan

The Delegation from Indonesia consisted of the following members of Parliament

• Mr. Tengku Nurlif, MP (Indonesia - from Province of Aceh)

• Mr. Ferri M. Baldan, MP (Indonesia - from Province of West Java and Member of Parliamentary Committee with oversight for legislation pertaining to all special autonomous regions)

The Bilateral Dialogue centered around a number of cluster issues - The importance of central government consulting with and seeking the consent of provincial/autonomous area authorities in connection with any decision to be made affecting said areas, in particular in the area of natural resource revenue sharing was a recurrent theme.

Similarly, the importance was also noted of understanding that special funds to assist autonomous regions must take into account all factors (i.e. criteria which only looks at population can overlook the fact that certain autonomous regions, even if more populous, are relatively more evolved/developed than certain other automous regions which are more sparsely populated and poorer; In more general terms, the significance of finding solution by peaceful dialogue and democratic processes, not violence was remarked upon by both sides during the course of the Dialogue.

Another discussion point of the Dialogue centered around the fact that certain autonomous regions can be very remote and accessibility to services consequently more limited - this too is an important consideration when it comes to assistance to autonomous regions/aiding development. While certain differences were noted between the two respective areas (Balochistan and Aceh) such as, in the case of Balochistan, influence by a neighbouring sovereign State (India), this did not detract from the points of similarity either. The Delegation from Indonesia distributed a document giving further background on the peace process in Aceh and the current deliberations in the Indonesian parliament on the issue of revenue sharing from sale of natural resources in Aceh (in particular the concern that any revenue shared be in the interest of all of the people of Aceh).

It is understood that a similar concern exists on the part of the Government of Pakistan in terms of funds distributed in the future in the province of Balochistan; At the conclusion of the meeting, general sentiments of support were expressed on both sides in terms of the usefulness of holding a possible future meeting in Balochistan, Pakistan to underscore the useful exchange of information and experiences that took place at this Bilateral Dialogue.

For further information on this Bilateral Dialogue, contact Mr. Peter Barcroft, Senior Program Officer, PGA at peter.barcroft@pgaction.org .