History and liability in Aceh, Indonesia: Single bad guys and convergent narratives

In this article, I explore the complicity of history and violence in Aceh, Indonesia, to consider the role of narrative logics in accountability. Through a careful reading of official and archival documents, I argue that narrative logics have corrupted forensic evidence and limited efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for acknowledged acts of violence. I consider how different narratives about past violence have important implications for accountability and future violence. I situate my examination of the Aceh case in a broader context by considering how anthropology produces knowledge about violence, especially its evidentiary basis, and what effect such expertise may have on conflict situations. I develop the concept of “liability” to explore how the state is legally answerable for what it acknowledges.