Former Aceh separatist fighters feel lure of Islamic State as they struggle to make ends meet
Critics say governance in the province over the past decade has been ineffective, pointing to problems in the education system, rising infant mortality rates and growing drug problems.
Fakhruddin Kasem hoped for a prosperous new life when Indonesia struck a deal to end a separatist conflict in Aceh, but a decade on the unemployed former rebel is so desperate he hopes to join Islamic State (IS) to make ends meet.
While many ex-fighters have benefited from peace in the western Indonesian province, with ex-rebels now Aceh’s key political players, former local commander Kasem is among a number who feel let down.
“As a rebel fighter, I feel betrayed by the leadership as they have not taken care of me,” said the 35-year-old, one of about 100 ex-rebels who pledged last month to join IS in Syria as they claim being salaried jihadists is the only way they can support their families.
Up to 500 nationals from Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, are believed to have travelled to the Middle East to join IS, sparking fears they could revive sophisticated militant networks responsible for attacks on Western targets on their return.
It is not clear whether the ex-rebels will really join the fight in Syria and Iraq, but the threat highlights how the transition to civilian life for many Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels has not always been smooth.
In 1976, GAM launched its fight for an independent Islamic state in Aceh, which is fiercely proud of its identity and was historically an important trading centre and seat of Muslim learning.