The Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Law: A Serious Response to Acehnese Separatism?

The passing of Law No. 18 of 2001 on \u27Special Autonomy for the Province of Aceh Special Region as the Province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam\u27 signified a major development in the Indonesian government\u27s strategy to resolve Aceh\u27s protracted conflict. Ratified by President Megawati Sukarnoputri on 9 August 2001, the \u27NAD law\u27 conferred unprecedented authority to Aceh over its internal affairs. This paper evaluates the challenges that have been involved in implementing the three main tenets of the legislation -- aspects of Syari\u27ah (Islamic law), the return of Aceh\u27s natural resource revenue and a provision to hold direct local elections. The paper argues that the Megawati administration\u27s failure to redress Acehnese grievances through special autonomy largely stems from its suspicion of the NAD law itself, its greater reliance on militaristic measures than on political policies in Aceh, and pre-existing systemic factors such as Aceh\u27s dysfunctional state infrastructure, corrupt political culture and war economy