"... If one day you hear the news that I had martyred, let him not feel sad and discouraged. Because I always pray to God that my martyred when the independence of Aceh was very close. I do not want to gain any position when state (Aceh) independence ... "
That was the last will of the commander of the Free Aceh Movement Abdullah Raya was killed in a firefight in the hills Jimjiem, Bandarbaru district, Pidie. The will made a month before he died, as if Syafei's premonition that his death was indeed near. However, long before Tengku Lah --so he used to be greeted - died, he had written a message so that his death would not be mourned, let alone mourned. Therefore, the struggle for independence unfinished state Aceh Sumatra and death itself is a martyr.
Tengku Lah is a very influential leader of the GAM military wing. For more than 20 years he led the GAM guerrillas from the Bireun area, known as the GAM headquarters. Tengku Lah is known as a firm and polite person. He is also known to be very polite and unassuming. In the eyes of GAM activists, Syafei is a humanist and anti-violence figure. That is why, Syafie repeatedly asserted that the armed struggle is nothing more than an attempt to defend itself from the attacks of the Indonesian National Army.
Tengku Lah was never raised in a world of violence. He also never received combat education in Libya, as obtained by Muzakir Manaf, a figure carried by GAM to replace Syafei. Tengku But only a modest personality who was born in the village of Matanggeulumpang Two, 45 kilometers west of Lhokseumawe, North Aceh. His last education was only at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri Peusangan. That was only until the third grade. After that, he studied religion at a number of pesantren.
Uniquely, Syafei's youth was spent more in the world of theater with the Jeumpa group. She often plays the role of woman in every staging. That is why, since she was young, Syafei's hair has always been loose. Tengku Lah's acquaintance with the military world took place in the early 1980s. He joined the GAM group Hasan Tiro. Even so, Syafei's friendliness and politeness did not fade. He kept in touch with the people of Aceh, which was very close to him.
This friendly, polite, and warm attitude was shown when Syafei so intimately met with a number of community components and journalists. Cabinet Secretary in the era of President Abdurrahman Wahid, Bondan Gunawan, and artist Cut Keke are two of the figures Syafei has ever met. In fact, when the TNI claimed to have shot him to death, in March 2000, Syafei casually invited SCTV reporters Jufri Alkatiri and Yahdi Jamhur for an interview in the middle of the Pasee Forest. On that occasion, Tengku Lah also invited Kompas journalist Maruli Tobing to see Syafei's last condition which at that time turned out to be in good health.
Syafi'i's every move deserves to be "eaten" by the press. It is considered an important figure to resolve the Aceh conflict has been protracted and bloody. However, before the Veranda of Mecca safety and independence for Aceh is still a dream for some members of GAM, Tengku Look trigger death. He died so dramatically; with Fatimah, his wife who is six months pregnant, in the belief of being a martyr. (ULF / SCTV Coverage Team 6)
Respected Friends Respected Opponents
It was almost dawn when a group of people walked by carrying four coffins in the thick of the night. In the foremost position, a man carried a petromax as a street light. One hundred meters from there, a number of men are still digging a grave measuring 3 x 2 meters.
"Please take a bucket, all the water should be discarded," said a man asking to drain the water that radiated in the hole that had just been dug.
"The ground at the other end, dug up a little more," another man added.
On the night before dawn, January 25, 2002, sobs and prayers echoed in Cubo Village, Bandar Baru District, Pidie Jaya. One of the coffins that carried the Commander of the Free Aceh Movement (AGAM) Tengku Abdullah Shafi. There is also his wife Cut Fatimah and his two loyal guards Teungku Daud Hasyim and Teungku Muhammad Ishak. They were killed due to armed contact between GAM and the TNI three days earlier, in Sarah Panyang Jiemjiem Village, about four kilometers from Blang Sukon.
Without being bathed, the four bodies were then buried in one hole. The funeral was simple. There are no GAM symbols such as flags or gunfire as is usually the burial of a military commander. There are no other GAM officials there.
The local community remembers Abdullah Syafie as a friendly and unassuming figure. That is why, the three villagers located 35 kilometers south of Sigli City fainted, unable to hold their breath. "I have never found a leader who is so close and able to associate with all walks of life," said the middle-aged man whose name did not want to be mentioned.
The man who is known as Teungku Lah is not only liked by friends, but also respected by opponents. Lieutenant Colonel Supartodi who was then Commander of the Military District (Dandim) 0102 Pidie acknowledged the superiority of Teungku Lah. "She is a good person. But because his ideology is contradictory, he has to face us, "said Supartodi.
Abdullah Puteh, who was appointed governor also praised the figure of Tengku Lah. According to Puteh, he is a leader who is willing to engage in dialogue and modern thinking. That was evident when Teungku Lah received Bondan Gunawan, Secretary of State sent by President Abdurrahman Wahid on March 16, 2000. The meeting took place on a jambo in a forest field in a familiar and joking atmosphere, without strict control. In fact, a number of domestic and foreign television stations broadcast the meeting live.
"I consider Tengku Lah as a brother, not an enemy," Bondan said after the meeting. Bondan even put a photo of himself with the AGAM Commander on his desk. "That's a portrait of my brother," Bondan told Nezar Patria from TEMPO who met him after meeting Teungku Lah.
Despite claims to the meeting only as an ordinary gathering, but certainly Bondan Abdurrahman message to pave the way for the Aceh conflict peacefully. The shooting of Teungku Lah managed to make the road to peace more winding. The meeting, which was scheduled to take place on February 3 in Geneva, Switzerland, did not go smoothly. GAM is reluctant to meet. "So far, we have tried to do diplomacy, but have always been rewarded with bullets," said Sofyan Daud, GAM spokesman at the time.
Nine years have passed. No more wars erupting. Three years after Teungku Lah was shot, GAM and the Indonesian government signed a peace agreement in Helsinki, Finland, on August 15, 2005. The agreement, known as the Helsinki MoU, ended a 30-year armed conflict.
After the peace came, Teungku Lah's grave was visited by many people. From the general public to former GAM officials. In fact, Wali Nanggroe Tengku Hasan di Tiro also had been there when she returned to Aceh in October 2008.
Tengku Lah's grave was built modestly and only surrounded by iron trellis. Several pieces of white cloth were tied to the distance tree planted in the tomb. The cloths are tied by the people who visit and peulheuh kaoy (take off the vows) there.
Meanwhile, far across the Geurutee, about an eight-hour drive from the tomb of Teungku Lah, an archer turned his brain to restore the commander's tomb. Arakata is a term in the GAM structure for the secretary's office. The man, Azhar Abdurrahman, the Rakata power Meureuhom region who is currently the governor of Aceh Jaya.
Visiting Tengku Lah's tomb about two months ago, Azhar was touched to see the condition of the tomb. He was moved to restore the commander's tomb. "He is a big man, a former warlord, but his grave is very simple," said Azhar.
Azhar has never met Tengku Lah directly. His face was only seen in the newspapers and occasionally appeared on television. Even so, Tengku Lah got a special place in Azhar's heart. When Tengku Lah was shot, Azhar got the news from a satellite phone. Someone from the central commander informed that the commander was gone. "We are very sad after receiving the news and determined to continue what he has been fighting for," said Azhar.
That is why, Azhar immediately planned the restoration of the tomb. He hopes that the people who come there will be free to just pray or pray there. It is estimated that the restoration of the tomb will be completed within one and a half months or before the fasting month of this year.
For Azhar, Abdullah Syafie is his idol. He still remembers Teungku Lah's message before his death. "If one day you hear the news that I had martyred, let him not feel sad and discouraged. Because I always pray to Allah Almighty to martyred me when the independence of Aceh was very close. I do not want to get whatever position when the state (Aceh) merdeka ... ".
