ACEH MODERN HISTORY IN BRIEF: What You Need to Know

Aceh is a special autonomous province in Indonesia which situated at the North tip of Sumatra Island. During mercantilist era, it acts as transit place for merchants ship from India and China in waiting the monsoon seasonal shift, which bring prosperity to port-cities along Malacca straits.

Presently, Aceh known with its peacebuilding success story after decades of armed conflict against Government of Indonesia (GoI), and post-tsunami 2004 reconstruction efforts thanks to International countries and organisations helps; beside famous with its sharia law enforcement controversy. If you google it, specially in news section, you’ll find a lot of links criticise its “rude” sharia law.

Seems, international media tends to portray Aceh identically toward the failed state and war torn country like Afghanistan. The fact is, most media weren’t fully correct to drawing-out us the Acehnese as a whole society regards the issues. Hence, I herewith provide steemit audience the brief description about Aceh modern political history.

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Aceh once was an independent kingdom in Malacca strait region, which rules not only large north section of Sumatra Island but including half of Malaysia peninsula as well, during its peak era early 17th till 19th late century. As kingdom prosperous coming from international trading, it creates communities which open culturally, tolerances and cosmopolite.

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During its peak, Aceh became one of destination for Islamic scholars internationally and became a centre of advance Islamic education within south east Asia region. Thanks to their culture which regard equality between man and woman, Aceh was not ruled only by Sultan, but couple times ruled by female kings called Sultanah. (Details, please see book “Sovereign Women in a Muslim Kingdom: The Sultanahs of Aceh, 1641−1699”)

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The kingdom of Aceh only decline through Dutch colonialism effort which blockade and attack its port-cities since 1873, triggered by the changing shipping routes due to the opening of Suez Canal in 1869; beside it's internally power struggle which consumed the prosperity and defences. It took 30 years of wars for Dutch to succeed, and consider as one of the longest war observed prior to WWI and cost the lives of thousand troops and colonial expenditures.

However, Aceh insurgencies continued till 1914 and extended by popular resistance till WWII era. Considering the common enemy, Aceh together with others struggle in another part of Dutch Indies (prior name of Indonesia) then joining their effort to drive out colonialism and eventually succeed to established the Republic of Indonesia as now.

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Regard the Aceh contributions toward Indonesian independence, GoI promised to granted Aceh province right to self-govern owned territory in accordance to sharia. Unfortunately, Indonesia broken the promise and blatantly drive further hampering Acehnese aspiration by abolishing Aceh province status in 1951.

Aceh fight back on 1953 through what called Darul Islam/Tentara Islam Indonesia (DI/TII) rebellion, lead by Daud Beureu’eh (former Military Governor of Aceh) declaring that Aceh would join the insurgent of Indonesian Islamic State formed earlier by Kartosuwirjo in Java, 1949. Moving fast, Aceh rebellions captured almost all region in the province except some cities held by Indonesian military.

This first rebellion only deceased after GoI granted the Special Region status for Aceh province in 1959, through Indonesian Prime Ministry decree No.1/MISSI/1959 which allowed Aceh to exercise its special rights on religious-based governance, customary laws and education system. Unfortunately, this special status didn’t enact and follow up by GoI in Jakarta with substantive support needed sort of budgets and policy derivatives. Hence considered by Acehnese simply as Jakarta’s empty lies. It lays the foundation for Acehnese future resentment toward GoI.

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Early 1970s, Exxon Mobil discovered a huge gas proven reserve in Arun, located in north Aceh district; entitled as one of the Asian biggest gas deposit in time. Together with Mobil, Indonesia set up a subsidiary company name PT. Arun NGL Co. and start the gas production and exports in 1975.

However, the Arun gas field development didn’t run smoothly. It cost the villagers who owned the lands of project location that forced to sold at rate given unilaterally by central government, in fact for some cases the land took without compensation tough. In short, the project simply drive-out these unfortunate people from site. (Details, please see here!)

To response the greedy and monopolise manner of dictatorial regime of Soeharto (reign from 1967-1998), and regard the only few feedback of gas exploitation revenues toward communities prosperity, a small group of local intellectuals lead by Hasan Tiro then took action of resistance against Indonesian central govt.

December 4, 1976 Tiro self-declared the independence of Aceh from Indonesia though a humble procession only attended by tens of his close follower, comprise of intellectual and ex-DI/TII rebels. Reading the proclamation document, Tiro portraying Aceh as occupied country under colonialism of Indonesia-Java (his coined terms for central government of Indonesia). The cause later famous as Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) or Free Aceh Movement (FAM).

As expected, Indonesia respond through military operation immediately and didn’t took long to disarm and arrested most of Tiro’s followers. Witnessing the threat, Tiro then decide to exile in 1979 and instructed the rest of members to covered and move underground. Looks like the end of FAM, at time. Not?

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Arun gas field operation and exports brought the massive petrodollar and developments into North Aceh. However, these prosperities didn’t enjoyed by locals, but simply for local elites, expatriates and outsider skill workers brought in in by company. The truth, locals getting more deep in poverty and experiencing the discrimination due the widening gap of economy. As the result, Acehnese envying those outsider with enmity, and rethought FAM as their saviour and the way out of issue.

These unprecedented poverty as side impact of development, combined to Gaddafi policy which opening the free military training camps in Libya for any movements aim for against Imperialism, tempted many youths in Aceh to join FAM military training there. So that in 1985-1987, estimated hundred of youths and unemployments take journey to Libya in waves and have trained. Soon, they went home and revived newer arms struggle famously called the phase 2 of FAM.

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Shocking toward new bigger FAM firepower, Indonesia took immediate response through larger military operation. In 1989, Indonesia declared the 3 district of Aceh province situated in east coastal area as Military Operation Zone. As expected, in the name disarm FAM, these operations take cost in high number of human casualties among locals.

What make the issue became larger and complicated was the unprecedented scale of human right abuse and extrajudicial killing attributed by Indonesian military toward Acehnese. Since it wasn’t regular military ops, but including psychology ops in order to terrorise and crumbling down the spirit of resistance.

Some researchers reported that various tortures method have been used by Indonesian military, including mutilation of body parts (eg. ear, fingers and nipple), electric shock, drowning in pool, disappearance, extrajudicial killing, etc. Verified by Amnesty International that reported any villages suspected hiding FAM member are burned down, while their familiies members kidnapped and torture in what said as “shock therapy.” (Details, please see here!)

Estimated, more than 300 women and underaged girls have been raped, while 9,000-12,000 people mostly civilian killed during Indonesian military zone operation between 1989-1998. Conclude here, the operation succeed to suppress the FAM arms struggle, though backfired with highly increased of people sympathy toward FAM. It lays foundation for later considered the biggest FAM struggles.

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The collapse of Soeharto dictatorial regime on May 20, 1998 followed by Indonesian military retreat from political process, create a like short vacuum of power at national level. Not wasting the chance, remainders FAM members consolidated their efforts and re-awakening the called phase 3 of struggle. This time they witnessed a tremendous support from public who suffering and angered with Indonesian military ops. Thanks to wide sympathies receipt, FAM setup newer guerrilla organisation spreading all Aceh. Great leaps for FAM, from previous hundreds its expand toward thousands of guerrilla fire power.

To make it more interesting, Aceh witnesses new phenomenon called civil society movement which seek democratic way to resolving decades of conflict, rather than arms struggle for independence. The civil movement raise a huge public support for sure, not only succeed to forced GoI to uplift military ops status, they also succeed gathered almost a million Acehnese in provincial capital Banda Aceh which aspiring referendum as political solution for Aceh.

Pressured by the strengthening of FAM and Aceh civil society movement, like its classic recipe, Indonesian imposed one more military ops in Aceh. Bit differs from previous act, this time the military ops launched under national decree of martial law and applied on overall province area. Some 50,000 military and police forces launch ops called “Integrated Operation” to eradicate FAM and its supporters. Operations weren’t took military force only, but political and religious (Islamic) approach too.

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During military crackdown, Indonesian government through President decree cleverly granted permission for Sharia implementation exercised in Aceh. Most notable experts conclude it as GOI effort to detach the support and sympathy from conservatives Acehnese muslims group living rurally toward FAM rebels, which known driven by Acehnese ethno-nationalism and seeking for a secular-nationalist state rather than Islamic state ideology. (Details, please see here!)

Later known, what implied by GOI’s sharia offered was simply formalisation of Islamic law characterised by its strict and narrowed-interpretation. Sharia offered are differs with cultured-sharia which living and exercised among people since earlier that tend to be flexible and adapted toward customary law. Not surprisingly, the sharia policy didn’t meet its full objectives and live on papers only.

Hence, its clear, sharia law in Aceh basically coming from GoI initiatives, and doesn’t belong to locals community.

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Last permanent peace between FAM and GoI achieved after historic disaster taken. On December 26, 2004 earthquake measured at 8.9 richter scale and located 150 km at sea west of Aceh, triggered tsunami wave that struck and devastate Aceh and countries along Indian ocean. The disaster take toll around 140,000 human lives and displaced more than 500,000 IDPs in Aceh alone.

As soon, there appears the urgent needs to delivered the big scale of emergency and humanitarian assistance onto Acehnese people. Beside both parties realise, they are losing appetite to prolong war that highly cost. Bright side is, It create supportive atmosphere for parties to reach agreement on Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Helsinki, August 15, 2005. (Details, please see here!)

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Following the MOU, GoI then issued a decree, Law No.11/2006, which granted the status of special autonomy province for Aceh and right to have special funds allocation within national budget. More, Aceh allowed to establish local political parties to participate into the national election scheme, and exercise its special rights through local government bodies and institutions. Aceh also allowed to issued local customary law called “Qanun, or Canon” which applied locally and may to bit differs from national law in accordance special need of locals.

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Adjusting toward new realm, FAM transformed the movement into a local party establishment called Partai Aceh or the Aceh Party (AP). As expected, the ex-rebel swipe almost entire executives and legislatives position through local election. It is marking new transition from arms struggle toward political game and power to govern, which challenge fully since FAM have no formal experiences to governed civil institutions and communities.

Immediately, FAM witnessing the great expectations and challenges from its own communities who suffering with massive poverty and unemployment, whether by conflict and disaster. Let alone the large group who victimise during armed conflict and lot of human rights violation cases waiting to resolved. Eventually, the mount of problem overwhelming ex-rebel party ability to address the issues, beside mismanagement and corruptions.

FAM participation within election also means the shifting from the politics of ideology toward politic of electoral which characterise by its pragmatic approach. Ex-rebel transformed local party exhausted to address these development and socio-economic issue, affected the later election achievements. Said, AP began to losing its political position one by one and.

Following the pragmatic approach, fear-of-lose Aceh Party which basically secular began to soften their language and accommodates the conservatives Moslem group aspiration, in order to maintain their vote achievement. Since that AP policy changes, we saw the series of events demonstrated what call by experts as “narrow interpretation of sharia”. Basically targeting youth expression and relationship, and women fashion conduct, beside the law enforcement on petty crimes like gambling and drunk persons. (Details, please see HRW report!

2017 election result showing the AP changes policy of sharia didn’t meet votes target, only few additional votes compared to AP’s main supporters. Sharia didn’t sell any more, as Acehnese tend to vote for candidates with a catchy programs on economic improvements and social services quality as they need. And it should be a basis for AP rethinking and backtrack the current policy. We wish!