Asymmetric Decentralization and Peace Building: A Comparison of Aceh and Northern Ireland

This article compares the asymmetric form of decentralization model in the Aceh, Indonesia, and in the Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, towards the process of peacemaking. In general, the decentralization models in the two regions have almost similar backgrounds due to prolonged religious conflicts. However, the devolution model in Northern Ireland is far more complex than Aceh’s, and closely related to other countries, that affect the constitutional status of Northern Ireland in the future. This is different from the Aceh government, which since the Helsinki MoU has remained a part of the Indonesia’s unitary form. On the other hand, in terms of governmental matters, decentralization in Aceh reflects a reduction in their special authority, with a pattern of division of government functions that is almost similar to the division of functions in the ordinary regional government. It is in contrast to the affairs of Northern Ireland’s government concerning matters that are categorized traditionally as the exclusive affairs of the central government in a unitary state, such as security matters. This provides a lesson for Indonesia that the issue of federalism in Aceh is indisputable and the Northern Ireland case reinforces the insight that federal state and unitary state have some degrees of similarity.