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Aceh

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Map showing Aceh within Indonesia
File:Aceh Indonesia.jpg
Map of Aceh
File:Aceh west tpc 90.jpg
Aceh Region (Tactical Pilotage Chart)
Northwest Aceh only

Aceh (pronounced Ah-chay) is a special territory (daerah istimewa, or "special autonomy") of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam; past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin.

Aceh is known for its political independence and fierce resistance to occupation by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and the current Indonesian government. Since 2003, it has been the site of renewed conflict between the Indonesian military and Acehnese separatists. Relative to most of Indonesia, it is a religiously conservative area, and has substantial natural resources, particularly oil.

The population of Aceh is estimated at 4.2 million (2000). This is about three percent of the Indonesian population.

The western coastal areas of Aceh, including the cities of Banda Aceh and Meulaboh, have been devastated by the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26 2004. The towns of Calang and Teunom, with populations of about 12,000 each, are reported to have "vanished completely leaving only scattered shards of concrete" [1].

Because of the separatist movement in the area, the Indonesian government has had access restrictions in place on the press and aid workers. The Indonesian government has, however, opened the region up to international relief efforts and retasked troops which were tracking separatists to relief activity. Separatist forces agreed to a temporary cease-fire during the period of humanitarian relief activity.

Coastal towns affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

History

It is believed that Islam first entered Southeast Asia through Aceh in the 8th century. In the 18th century, the Islamic kingdom of Aceh was involved in a power struggle between British and Dutch colonial interests.

In 1824, the Anglo-Dutch treaty was signed, under which the British ceded their colonial possessions on Sumatra to the Dutch. The British claimed Aceh as part of their colonies, although they had little actual control over the kingdom. Initially, under the agreement the Dutch agreed to respect the Acehnese kingdom's independence. In 1871, however, the British dropped previous opposition to a Dutch invasion of Aceh, possibly to prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the region.

The Aceh war

A captured Aceh fort on a photo from 1901. Van Daalen is visible in the upper left.

The Dutch colonial government declared war on Aceh on 26 March 1873. An expedition under general-major Köhler was sent out in 1874, which was able to occupy most of the coastal areas, but never gained full control over the mountainous interior. The Sultan requested and possibly received millitary aid from Italy and the United States in Singapore: in any case the Aceh army was rapidly modernized, and Aceh soldiers managed to kill Köhler. A second expediton led by general Van Swieten managed to capture the kraton (sultan's palace): the Sultan had however been warned, and had escaped capture. Intermittent guerrilla warfare continued in the region for ten years, with many victims on both sides. Around 1880 the Dutch strategy changed: rather than continuing the war, they now concentrated on defending areas already under control, which were the central region (modern day Banda Aceh), and the harbour town of Olehleh. On 13 October 1880 the colonial government declared the war as over.

War began again in 1883, when the British ship Nisero was stranded in Aceh, in an area not controlled by the Dutch. A local leader asked for ransom from both the Dutch and the English, and under English pressure the Dutch were forced to attempt to liberate the sailors. After a failed Dutch attempt to rescue the hostages, where the local leader Teuku Umar was asked for help but he refused, the Dutch together with the English invaded the territory. The Sultan gave up the hostages, and received a large amount in cash in exchange. The Dutch Minister of Warfare Weitzel now again declared open war on Aceh, and warfare continued, with little success, as before. The Dutch now also tried to enlist local leaders: the aforementioned Umar was bought with cash, opium, and weapons. Umar received the title panglima prang besar (upper warlord of the government). Umar called himself rather Teuku Djohan Pahlawan (Johan the heroic). On 1 January 1894 Umar even received Dutch aid to build an army. However, two years later Umar attacked the Dutch with his new army, rather than aiding the Dutch in subjugating inner Aceh. This is recorded in Dutch history as "Het verraad van Teukoe Oemar" (the treason of Teuku Umar).

In 1892 and 1893 the subjugation of Aceh was considered to have failed. Major J.B. van Heutsz, a colonial millitary leader, then wrote a series of articles on Aceh, proclaiming the use of excessive force to subjugate the province. This advice was followed: in 1898 Van Heutsz was proclaimed governor of Aceh, and with his lieutenant, later Dutch Prime Minister Hendrikus Colijn, most of Aceh was (nominally) brought under Dutch control. They charged colonel Van Daalen with breaking remaining resistance. Van Daalen destroyed several villages, killing at least 2,900 Acehnese, among which 1,150 women and children. Dutch losses numbered just 26, and Van Daalen was promoted. By 1904 Aceh was fully under Dutch control.

When news about the brutal acts in Aceh reached the Netherlands there was a public outcry against Van Daalen, and he was discharged. The true account of the Aceh war was never investigated, however. Estimated total casualties on the Aceh side range from 50,000 to 100,000 dead, and over a million wounded.

Until the independence of the Dutch Indies as Indonesia following the end of Japanese occupation guerilla warfare against the Dutch continued.

Independence

Upon independence, Indonesian troops were dispatched to annex Aceh, causing resentment over what some Acehnese view as foreign occupation. In 1959 the Indonesian government yielded in part and gave Aceh a "special territory" status, giving it a high degree of autonomy in a number of matters. This placated some Acehnese, but a pro-independence movement still remains.

Separatist movement

Aceh has a long history of resistance to occupation by outside forces; since Indonesian independence, this has meant resistance to control by the national government in Jakarta. This resistance has both economic and cultural roots.

Many Achenese people feel that most of the economic benefits of the region's great natural resources, especially oil, leave the region and benefit the Jakarta government and foreign corporations instead of the local area. Aceh possesses one of Indonesia's largest reserves of oil and natural gas. A number of multinational corporations, such as Exxon Mobil, maintain a presence in Aceh.

There is a cultural and religious divide between Aceh and the rest of Indonesia as well. A more conservative form of Islam than is mainstream in most of Indonesia is widely practiced in Aceh. The broadly secular policies of Suharto's New Order regime (1965-1998) were especially unpopular in Aceh, where many resented the central government's policy of promoting a unified 'Indonesian culture'.

This dissatisfaction has led to a long-running push in the province for greater autonomy, or complete separation, led by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

In 2002 the separatists and the Indonesian government agreed on a peace plan. However it collapsed in early 2003 and the government imposed martial law and began a large-scale offensive in the region. In November 2003 the martial law was extended for a further six months. According to a Human Rights Watch report [2], the Indonesian military committed widespread human rights abuses during the invasion and occupation, with more than 100,000 people being displaced in the first seven months of martial law and extra-judicial killings being common.

Administration

Within the Republic of Indonesia, Aceh is governed not as a province but as a special territory (daerah istimewa), an administrative designation intended to give the area increased autonomy from the central government in Jakarta.

The capital and largest city in Aceh is Banda Aceh, located on the coast near the northern tip of Sumatra. Other major cities include Sabang, Lhokseumawe, and Langsa. Administratively, the province is subdivided into seventeen regencies and four municipalities.

Some local areas are pushing to create new autonomous areas, usually with the stated goal of enhancing local control over politics and development. In Aceh Singkil regency, there is a demand to establish the municipality of Subulussalam and in the town of Pidie, around eight districts are seeking to develop a new regency which will be named Meuredu or Pidie Jaya.

List of Kabupaten/Kota (municipalities)

source: http://www.pu.go.id/infoStatistik/aceh/data/kotakec.htm

Ethnic and cultural groups

Aceh is a diverse region occupied by several ethnic and language groups. Major ethnic groups are the Acehnese (who are distributed throughout Aceh), Gayo (in Aceh Tengah and some parts of Aceh Timur, Bener Meriah and Gayo Lues); Alas (in Aceh Tenggara); Tamiang (in Aceh Tamiang); Aneuk Jamee (concentrated in Aceh Selatan and Aceh Barat Daya); Kluet (in Aceh Selatan) and Simeulue (on Simeulue Island).

The region also has a substantial population of Arab descent. There is small group of European descendants who live in Kecamatan Jaya, Aceh Jaya. Many of them have blonde hair, white skin and blue eyes. They are believed to be the Islamicized descendants of Portuguese soldiers. They live with Acehnese traditions and only speak Achinese and Indonesian.

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