Aceh
Encyclopedia
Aceh is a special region
(daerah istimewa) of Indonesia
, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra
. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh (1959–2001), Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam (2001–2009) and Aceh (2009–Present). Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin. The Aceh province has the highest proportion of Muslims in the country with regional levels of Sharia
law.
It is thought to have been in Aceh where Islam was first established in Southeast Asia
. In the early seventeenth century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Aceh has a history of political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch
colonists and the Indonesian government. Aceh has substantial natural resource
s, including oil
and natural gas
- some estimates put Aceh gas reserves as being the largest in the world. Relative to most of Indonesia, it is a religiously conservative
area.
Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter
of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
, which triggered a tsunami
that devastated much of the western coast of the region, including part of the capital of Banda Aceh
. Approximately 170,000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster, and approximately 500,000 were left homeless, with almost all the damage occurring in Aceh. This event helped trigger the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM), mediated by former Finnish
president Martti Ahtisaari
, with the signing of a MoU
on August 15, 2005. With the assistance of the European Union
through the Aceh monitoring mission
as of December 2005, the peace has held. It is close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India
and separated from them by the Andaman Sea
.
are present. Stone tool
s and faunal remains
were also found on the site. Archeologists believe the site was first occupied around 10,000 BC.
traveller Marco Polo
passed by Sumatra on his way home from China in 1292 he found that Perlak was a Muslim town while nearby 'Basma(n)' and 'Samara' were not. 'Basma(n)' and 'Samara' are often said to be Pasai
and Samudra
(present-day Syamtalira) but evidence is inconclusive. The gravestone of Sultan Malik as-Salih, the first Muslim ruler of Samudra, has been found and is dated AH 696 (AD 1297). This is the earliest clear evidence of a Muslim dynasty in the Indonesia-Malay area and more gravestones from the thirteenth century show that this region continued under Muslim rule. Ibn Batutah, a Moroccan
traveller, passing through on his way to China in 1345 and 1346, found that the ruler of Samudra was a follower of the Shafi’i school of Islam.
The Portuguese apothecary Tome Pires
reported in his early sixteenth century book Suma Oriental that most of the kings of Sumatra from Aceh through to Palembang
were Muslim. At Pasai, in what is now the North Aceh Regency
, there was a thriving international port. Pires attributed the establishment of Islam in Pasai to the 'cunning' of the Muslim merchants. The ruler of Pasai, however, had not been able to convert the people of the interior. The first evidence of human habitation in Aceh is from a site near the Tamiang River
) during the 15th century. During its golden era
, its territory and political influence expanded as far as Satun
in southern Thailand
, Johor
in Malay Peninsula
, and Siak in what is today the province of Riau. As was the case with most non-Javan pre-colonial states, Acehnese
power expanded outward by sea rather than inland. As it expanded down the Sumatran coast, its main competitors were Johor and Portuguese Malacca
on the other side of the Straits of Malacca. It was this seaborne trade focus that saw Aceh rely on rice imports from north Java
rather than develop self sufficiency in rice production.
After the Portuguese occupation of Malacca
in 1511, many Islamic traders passing the Malacca Straits shifted their trade to Banda Aceh
and increased Acehnese
rulers' wealth. During the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda in 17th century, Aceh's influence extended to most of Sumatra
and the Malay Peninsula
. Aceh allied itself with the Ottoman Empire
and the Dutch East India Company
in their struggle against the Portuguese
and the Johor Sultanate
. Acehnese military power waned gradually thereafter, and Aceh ceded its territory of Pariaman
in Sumatra
to the Dutch
in 18th century.
By the early nineteenth century, however, Aceh had become an increasingly influential power due to its strategic location for controlling regional trade. In the 1820s it was the producer of over half the world's supply of black pepper. The pepper trade produced new wealth for the Sultanate and for the rulers of many smaller nearby ports that had been under Aceh's control, but were now able to assert more independence. These changes initially threatened Aceh's integrity, but a new sultan Tuanku Ibrahim, who controlled the kingdom from 1838 to 1870, reasserted power over nearby ports.
Under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
the British
ceded their colonial possessions on Sumatra to the Dutch. In the treaty, the British described Aceh as one of their possessions, although they had no actual control over the Sultanate. Initially, under the agreement the Dutch agreed to respect Aceh's independence. In 1871, however, the British dropped previous opposition to a Dutch invasion of Aceh, possibly to prevent France
or the United States from gaining a foothold in the region. Although neither the Dutch nor the British knew the specifics, there had been rumors since the 1850s that Aceh had been in communication with rulers of France and of the Ottoman Empire.
on Aceh on 26 March 1873; the apparent immediate trigger for their invasion was discussions between representatives of Aceh and the U.S. in Singapore
during early 1873. An expedition under Major General Johan Harmen Rudolf Köhler
was sent out in 1873, which was able to occupy most of the coastal areas. It was the intention of the Dutch to attack and take the Sultan's palace, which would also lead to the occupation of the entire country. The Sultan requested and possibly received military aid from Italy
and the United Kingdom in Singapore: in any case the Aceh army was rapidly modernized, and Aceh soldiers managed to kill Köhler (a monument to this achievement has been built inside Grand Mosque of Banda Aceh). Köhler made some grave tactical errors and the reputation of the Dutch was severely harmed. In addition, in recent years in line with expanding international attention to human rights issues and atrocities in war zones, there has been increasing discussion about the some of the recorded acts of cruelty and slaughter committed by Dutch troops during the period of warfare in Aceh.
Hasan Mustafa (1852–1930) was a chief 'penghulu,' or judge, for the colonial government and was stationed in Aceh. He had to balance traditional Muslim justice with Dutch law. To stop the Aceh rebellion, Hasan Mustafa issued a fatwa, telling the Muslims there in 1894, "It is Incumbent upon the Indonesian Muslims to be loyal to the Dutch East Indies Government".
, as Military Governor of Aceh.
due to many ethnic-differences between themselves and the mostly Christian Batak
people who dominate North Sumatra
. This resentment resulted in a rebellion in 1953, under the banner of Islamic State (Darul Islam), led by Daud Bereueh. Putting down the rebellion took years to complete. In 1959 the Indonesian government yielded in part and gave Aceh a "special territory" (daerah istimewa) status, giving it a greater degree of autonomy from the central government in Jakarta than most other regions of Indonesia have. For example, the regional government is empowered to construct a legal system independent of the national government. In 2003, a form of sharia
, or Islamic law, was formally introduced in Aceh. In 1963, Daud Bereueh signed a peace agreement, marking the end of Islamic Rebellion.
, former ambassador of Darul Islam, to call for Independent Aceh. He proclaimed Aceh Independence in 1976.
The movement had a small number of followers initially, and Hasan di Tiro himself had to live in exile in Sweden. Meanwhile, the province followed Suharto's policy of economic development and industrialization. During late 80s several security incidents prompted the Indonesian central government to take repressive measures and to send troops to Aceh. Human rights abuse was rampant for the next decade, resulting in many grievances on the part of the Acehnese toward the Indonesian central government.
During late 90s, chaos in Java and an ineffective central government gave an advantage to Free Aceh Movement
and resulted in the second phase of the rebellion, this time with large support from the Acehnese people. This support was demonstrated during the 2000 plebiscite in Banda Aceh which was attended by nearly half million people (of four million population of the province). Indonesian central government responded in 2001 by broadening Aceh's autonomy by giving its government the right to apply sharia law more broadly and the right to receive direct foreign investment. This was again accompanied by repressive measures, however and in 2003 an offensive began and a state of emergency
was proclaimed in the Province. The war was still going on when the Tsunami Disaster of 2004 struck the province.
used the Alien Tort Claims Act to sue Exxon Mobil in United States federal court for human rights abuses at the Arun natural gas field. The villagers claim they were tortured, raped, or murdered by Indonesian military soldiers. They claimed that Exxon Mobil created barracks and gave the Indonesian military (who were used to guard a natural gas field) heavy equipment to cover mass burials after a clash with separatists. Exxon Mobil reportedly shut down the site because of escalating violence. The villagers need to reveal their identities to receive government protection from Indonesia, but are reluctant due to reprisals from the Indonesian military.
, Calang, and Meulaboh
, were among the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami
resulting from the Indian Ocean earthquake
on 26 December 2004. While estimates vary, approximately 230,000 people were killed by the earthquake and tsunami in Aceh, and about 500,000 were left homeless. The tragedy of the tsunami was further compounded on March 26 when a second off-shore earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale struck the sea bed between the islands of Simeulue Island in Aceh and Nias
in North Sumatra. This second quake killed a further 905 people on Nias and Simeulue, displaced tens of thousands more and caused the tsunami response to be expanded to include Nias.
The population of Aceh before the December 2004 tsunami was 4,271,000 (2004). The population as of 15 September 2005 was 4,031,589.
As of February 2006, more than a year after the tsunami, a large number of people are still living in barrack-style temporary living centers (TLC) or tent
s. Reconstruction is visible everywhere, but due to the sheer scale of the disaster, and logistical issues, progress is slow.
The ramifications of the tsunami went beyond the immediate impact to the lives and infrastructure of the Acehnese living on the coast. Since the disaster, the Acehnese rebel movement GAM, which had been fighting for independence against the Indonesian authorities for 29 years, has signed a peace deal (August 15, 2005). The perception that the tsunami was punishment for insufficient piety in this proudly Muslim province is partly behind the increased emphasis on the importance of religion post-tsunami. This has been most obvious in the increased implementation of Sharia
law, including the introduction of the controversial 'WH' or Syariah police. As homes are being built and people's basic needs are met, the people are also looking to improve the quality of education
, increase tourism, and develop responsible, sustainable industry. Well-qualified educators are in high demand in Aceh.
While parts of Banda Aceh
, the capital, were unscathed, the areas closest to the water, especially the areas of Kampung Jawa and Meuraxa, were completely destroyed. Most of the rest of the western coast was severely damaged, and many towns completely disappeared. Other towns on Aceh's west coast hit by the disaster include Lhoknga
, Leupung
, Lamno, Patek
, Calang
, Teunom
, and the island of Simeulue
. Affected or destroyed towns on the region's north & east coast include Pidie Regency
, Samalanga
, and Lhokseumawe
.
The area is slowly being rebuilt after the disaster. The government initially proposed the creation of a two-kilometer buffer zone
along low-lying coastal areas, within which permanent construction is not permitted. This proposal was unpopular among some local inhabitants and proved impractical in most situations, especially fishing
families that are dependent on living near to the sea
.
Indonesian government has built special agency for Aceh reconstruction, called Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi
(BRR/Agency of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction) headed by Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, former Indonesian Minister. This agency has ministry level of authority and incorporating officials, professionals and community leaders from all background.
Most of the reconstruction work is being performed by local people using a mix of traditional methods and partial prefabricated structures, with funding coming from many international organizations and individuals, governments, and the people themselves.
The Government of Indonesia estimated in their Preliminary Damage and Losses Assessment that damages amounted to US$4.5 billion (before inflation, and US$6.2 billion including inflation). Three years after the tsunami, reconstruction was still ongoing. The World Bank
monitors funding for reconstruction in Aceh and reports that US$7.7 billion was earmarked for the reconstruction, whilst at June 2007, US$5.8 billion had been allocated to specific reconstruction projects, of which US$3.4 billion had actually been spent (58%).
In 2009, the government opened a US$5.6 million museum
to commemorate the tsunami with photographs, stories, and a simulation of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami.
and the Indonesian government (PDF format). It drew a lot of international attention to the conflict, wiped out many supplies, and killed many personnel from both sides. Earlier efforts had failed, but for a number of reasons, including the tsunami, peace prevailed in 2005 after 29 years of war. Post-Suharto Indonesia and the liberal-democratic reform period, as well as changes in the Indonesian military, helped create an environment more favorable to peace talks. The roles of newly elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
and Vice President Jusuf Kalla
were highly significant. At the same time, the GAM leadership was undergoing changes, and the Indonesian military
had arguably inflicted so much damage on the rebel movement that it had no choice but to negotiate with the central government. The peace talks were facilitated by a Finland
-based NGO, the Crisis Management Initiative
, and led by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari
. The resulting peace agreement (PDF format) was signed on August 15, 2005. Under the agreement, Aceh would receive special autonomy and government troops would be withdrawn from the province in exchange for GAM's disarmament. As part of the agreement, the European Union
dispatched 300 monitors
. Their mission expired on December 15, 2006, following local elections.
Aceh has been granted broader autonomy through Aceh Government Legislation covering special rights agreed upon in 2002 as well as the right of the Acehnese to establish local political parties to represent their interests. Human rights advocates protested that previous human rights violations in the province needed to be addressed, however.
During elections for the provincial governor held in December 2006, the former GAM and national parties participated. The election was won by Irwandi Yusuf
, whose base of support consists largely of ex-GAM members.
.
Administratively, the province is subdivided into 18 regencies (kabupaten) and 5 cities (kota). The capital and the largest city is Banda Aceh
, located on the coast near the northern tip of Sumatra. Some local areas are pushing to create new autonomous areas, usually with the stated goal of enhancing local control over politics and development.
The ending of the conflict, and the reconstruction program has resulted in the structure of the economy changing significantly since 2003. Service sectors now play a more dominant role, whilst oil and gas production continues to decline. The economy continues to rely upon depleting oil and gas production and agriculture.
After peaking at 41.5% in December 2005, inflation
has continued to decline steadily and was 8.5% in June 2007, close to the national level in Indonesia
of 5.7%. Persistent inflation means that Aceh’s consumer price index
(CPI) remains the highest in Indonesia. As a result, Aceh’s cost competitiveness has declined as reflected in both inflation and wage data. Although inflation has slowed down, CPI has registered steady increases since the tsunami. Using 2002 as a base, Aceh’s CPI increased to 185.6 (June 2007) while the national
CPI increased to 148.2. There have been relatively large nominal wage increases in particular sectors, such as construction where, on average, workers’ nominal wages have risen to almost Rp.60,000 per day, from Rp.29,000 pre-tsunami. This is also reflected in Aceh’s minimum regional wage (UMR, or Upah Minimum Regional), which increased by 55% from Rp.550,000 pre-tsunami to Rp.850,000 in 2007, compared with an increase of 42% in neighboring North Sumatra
, from Rp.537,000 to Rp.761,000.
Poverty
levels increased slightly in Aceh in 2005 after the tsunami, but by less than expected. The poverty level then fell in 2006 to below the pre-tsunami level, suggesting that the rise in tsunami-related poverty was short lived and reconstruction activities and the end of the conflict most probably facilitated this decline. However, poverty in Aceh remains significantly higher than in the rest of Indonesia and a large number of the Acehnese remain vulnerable, reinforcing the need for a smooth landing after the reconstruction boom ends.
Aceh is a diverse region occupied by several ethnic and language groups. The major ethnic groups are the Acehnese
(who are distributed throughout Aceh), Gayo (in central and eastern part), Alas (in southeastern), Tamiang (in Aceh Tamiang Regency
), Aneuk Jamee (descendant from Minangkabau, concentrated in southern and southwestern), Kluet (in South Aceh), and Simeulue
(on Simeulue
Island). There is also a significant population of Chinese
, who are influential in the business and financial communities.
The Acehnese language
is widely spoken within the Acehnese population. This is a member of the Aceh-Chamic group of languages, whose other representatives are mostly found in Vietnam and Cambodia, and is also closely related to the Malay
group of languages. Acehnese also has many words borrowed from Malay and Arabic and traditionally was written using Arabic script. Acehnese is also used as local language in Langkat and Asahan (North Sumatra
), and Kedah (Malaysia), and once dominated Penang. Alas and Kluet are closely related languages within the Batak
group. The Jamee language originated from Minangkabau language
in West Sumatra
, with just a few variations and differences.
Aceh was once a meeting point for people from many nations, and among the present day Acehnese can be found some individuals of Arab
, Turkish
, and India
n descent. Before the tsunami, the region of Meureuhom Daya (Lamno) used to have an unusually high number of people with fair complexions, blue eyes and blond hair, and local traditions attributed to Turkish
or Portuguese ancestry.
, much of it was estimated due to the insurgency making counting difficult. After the devastating tsunami of 2004, the population also took a large hit. However, according to the 2010 census, the total population of the province is 4,486,570 people.
with 6,300 hectares at the foot of Mount Seulawah under the protection of the provincial forestry and plantations office. At May 2011, there are 48 elephants trained by 45 mahot (instructors) for 25 out of 40 instructions given by trainers. Each elephant has its own handler or instructor. Elephants are meek rather than aggressive, except they feel threatened. The elephants are saved from the villagers and vice versa which frequently conflicted between them when they are wild.
guerrillas has developed Guerrilla Jungle Tracking mostly at Pucok Krueng, Aceh Besar
regency which near Strait of Malacca
with origin forest, monkey, sun bear, eagle and swallow. It attracts many foreign tourists.
Provinces of Indonesia
The province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...
(daerah istimewa) of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh (1959–2001), Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam (2001–2009) and Aceh (2009–Present). Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin. The Aceh province has the highest proportion of Muslims in the country with regional levels of Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law.
It is thought to have been in Aceh where Islam was first established in Southeast Asia
The spread of Islam in Indonesia (1200 to 1600)
Islam was brought into Indonesia by traders from Gujarat, India during the eleventh century, although Muslims had visited the archipelago early in the Muslim era. By the end of the 16th century, Islam, through conversion, had surpassed Hinduism and Buddhism as the dominant religion of the peoples...
. In the early seventeenth century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Aceh has a history of political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
colonists and the Indonesian government. Aceh has substantial natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s, including oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
- some estimates put Aceh gas reserves as being the largest in the world. Relative to most of Indonesia, it is a religiously conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
area.
Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
, which triggered a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
that devastated much of the western coast of the region, including part of the capital of Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
. Approximately 170,000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster, and approximately 500,000 were left homeless, with almost all the damage occurring in Aceh. This event helped trigger the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement
Free Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
(GAM), mediated by former Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
president Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland , Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work....
, with the signing of a MoU
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
on August 15, 2005. With the assistance of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
through the Aceh monitoring mission
Aceh monitoring mission
The Aceh Monitoring Mission , established by the European Union according to the Memorandum of Understanding between former Acehnese rebel movement GAM and the Government of Indonesia on 15 August 2005...
as of December 2005, the peace has held. It is close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and separated from them by the Andaman Sea
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea or Burma Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Burma, west of Thailand and east of the Andaman Islands, India; it is part of the Indian Ocean....
.
Prehistory
The first evidence of human habitation in Aceh is from a site near the Tamiang River where shell middensMidden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
are present. Stone tool
Stone tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric, particularly Stone Age cultures that have become extinct...
s and faunal remains
Faunal assemblage
Faunal Assemblage is the archaeological or paleontological term for a group of associated animal fossils found together in a given stratum.The principle of faunal succession is used in biostratigraphy to determine each biostratigraphic unit, or biozone...
were also found on the site. Archeologists believe the site was first occupied around 10,000 BC.
The beginnings of Islam in Southeast Asia
Evidence concerning the initial coming and subsequent establishment of Islam in Southeast Asia is thin and inconclusive, however, it is thought that it was through the Aceh region. When VenetianVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
traveller Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
passed by Sumatra on his way home from China in 1292 he found that Perlak was a Muslim town while nearby 'Basma(n)' and 'Samara' were not. 'Basma(n)' and 'Samara' are often said to be Pasai
Pasai
Pasai, also known as Samudera and Samudera-Pasai sometimes called Samudera Darussalam was a Muslim harbour kingdom on the north coast of Sumatra from the 13th to the 15th centuries CE. It was believed the word Samudera derived from Samudra meaning ocean in Sanskrit...
and Samudra
Samudra
Samudra is a Sanskrit term for "ocean", literally the "gathering together of waters" Samudra is a Sanskrit term for "ocean", literally the "gathering together of waters" Samudra is a Sanskrit term for "ocean", literally the "gathering together of waters" (- meaning "together" and -udra meaning...
(present-day Syamtalira) but evidence is inconclusive. The gravestone of Sultan Malik as-Salih, the first Muslim ruler of Samudra, has been found and is dated AH 696 (AD 1297). This is the earliest clear evidence of a Muslim dynasty in the Indonesia-Malay area and more gravestones from the thirteenth century show that this region continued under Muslim rule. Ibn Batutah, a Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
traveller, passing through on his way to China in 1345 and 1346, found that the ruler of Samudra was a follower of the Shafi’i school of Islam.
The Portuguese apothecary Tome Pires
Tomé Pires
Tomé Pires was an apothecary from Lisbon who spent 1512 to 1515 in Malacca immediately after the Portuguese conquest, at a time when Europeans were only first arriving in South East Asia...
reported in his early sixteenth century book Suma Oriental that most of the kings of Sumatra from Aceh through to Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
were Muslim. At Pasai, in what is now the North Aceh Regency
North Aceh Regency
North Aceh Regency is a regency in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 3,477.92 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 632,200 people.- Economy :...
, there was a thriving international port. Pires attributed the establishment of Islam in Pasai to the 'cunning' of the Muslim merchants. The ruler of Pasai, however, had not been able to convert the people of the interior. The first evidence of human habitation in Aceh is from a site near the Tamiang River
Sultanate of Aceh
The Sultanate of Aceh was established initially as a small Islamic kingdom (in what is now the city of Banda AcehBanda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
) during the 15th century. During its golden era
Golden Era
The Golden Era was a 19th century San Francisco newspaper that featured the writing of Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Charles Warren Stoddard , Fitz Hugh Ludlow, Adah Isaacs Menken and Ada Clare....
, its territory and political influence expanded as far as Satun
Satun
Satun is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Satun Province. It covers the whole tambon Phiman of Mueang Satun district. As of 2005 it has a population of 21,498....
in southern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
in Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
, and Siak in what is today the province of Riau. As was the case with most non-Javan pre-colonial states, Acehnese
Acehnese people
The Acehnese are a people in Aceh, Indonesia. Their homeland is located in the northern-most tip of the island of Sumatra and had a history of political struggle against the Dutch...
power expanded outward by sea rather than inland. As it expanded down the Sumatran coast, its main competitors were Johor and Portuguese Malacca
Portuguese Malacca
Portuguese Malacca was the territory of Malacca that, for 130 years , was a Portuguese colony.- History :From the writing of the Portuguese historian Emanuel Godinho de Erédia in the middle of the 16th century, the site of the old city of Malacca was named after the Myrobalans, fruit-bearing trees...
on the other side of the Straits of Malacca. It was this seaborne trade focus that saw Aceh rely on rice imports from north Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
rather than develop self sufficiency in rice production.
After the Portuguese occupation of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
in 1511, many Islamic traders passing the Malacca Straits shifted their trade to Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
and increased Acehnese
Acehnese people
The Acehnese are a people in Aceh, Indonesia. Their homeland is located in the northern-most tip of the island of Sumatra and had a history of political struggle against the Dutch...
rulers' wealth. During the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda in 17th century, Aceh's influence extended to most of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. Aceh allied itself with the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
in their struggle against the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and the Johor Sultanate
Johor Sultanate
The Sultanate of Johor was founded by Malaccan Sultan Mahmud Shah's son, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II in 1528. Johor was part of the Malaccan Sultanate before the Portuguese conquered Malacca's capital in 1511...
. Acehnese military power waned gradually thereafter, and Aceh ceded its territory of Pariaman
Pariaman
Pariaman is a coastal city in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Pariaman has 72,089 inhabitants , an area of and a coastline. "Pariaman" means "safe area".-History:...
in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
to the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 18th century.
By the early nineteenth century, however, Aceh had become an increasingly influential power due to its strategic location for controlling regional trade. In the 1820s it was the producer of over half the world's supply of black pepper. The pepper trade produced new wealth for the Sultanate and for the rulers of many smaller nearby ports that had been under Aceh's control, but were now able to assert more independence. These changes initially threatened Aceh's integrity, but a new sultan Tuanku Ibrahim, who controlled the kingdom from 1838 to 1870, reasserted power over nearby ports.
Under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814...
the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ceded their colonial possessions on Sumatra to the Dutch. In the treaty, the British described Aceh as one of their possessions, although they had no actual control over the Sultanate. Initially, under the agreement the Dutch agreed to respect Aceh's independence. In 1871, however, the British dropped previous opposition to a Dutch invasion of Aceh, possibly to prevent France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or the United States from gaining a foothold in the region. Although neither the Dutch nor the British knew the specifics, there had been rumors since the 1850s that Aceh had been in communication with rulers of France and of the Ottoman Empire.
Aceh War
The Dutch colonial government declared warDeclaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
on Aceh on 26 March 1873; the apparent immediate trigger for their invasion was discussions between representatives of Aceh and the U.S. in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
during early 1873. An expedition under Major General Johan Harmen Rudolf Köhler
Johan Harmen Rudolf Köhler
Johan Harmen Rudolf Köhler was a Dutch general who commanded the Dutch-Indonesian forces during the First expedition to Aceh started on April 8, 1873. The expedition failed to reach its goals and Köhler himself was shot in a skirmish...
was sent out in 1873, which was able to occupy most of the coastal areas. It was the intention of the Dutch to attack and take the Sultan's palace, which would also lead to the occupation of the entire country. The Sultan requested and possibly received military aid from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the United Kingdom in Singapore: in any case the Aceh army was rapidly modernized, and Aceh soldiers managed to kill Köhler (a monument to this achievement has been built inside Grand Mosque of Banda Aceh). Köhler made some grave tactical errors and the reputation of the Dutch was severely harmed. In addition, in recent years in line with expanding international attention to human rights issues and atrocities in war zones, there has been increasing discussion about the some of the recorded acts of cruelty and slaughter committed by Dutch troops during the period of warfare in Aceh.
Hasan Mustafa (1852–1930) was a chief 'penghulu,' or judge, for the colonial government and was stationed in Aceh. He had to balance traditional Muslim justice with Dutch law. To stop the Aceh rebellion, Hasan Mustafa issued a fatwa, telling the Muslims there in 1894, "It is Incumbent upon the Indonesian Muslims to be loyal to the Dutch East Indies Government".
Japanese Occupation
During World War II, Japanese troops occupied Aceh. Religious ulama party gained ascendancy to replace district warlords (uleebalang) party formerly collaborating with the Dutch. Concrete bunkers still line the northern-most beaches.Indonesian Independence
After World War II, civil war erupted in 1945 between district warlords party, supporting the return of Dutch government and religious ulama party, supporting newly proclaimed Indonesia State. The latter party won, and the area remained free during Indonesian War of Independence. The Dutch military itself never attempted to invade Aceh. The civil war put the religious ulama party leader, Daud BereuehDaud Bereueh
Teungku Daud Beureueh , military Governor of Aceh and leader of the Darul Islam rebellion in the province ....
, as Military Governor of Aceh.
Islamic rebellion
After the transfer of authority from Dutch Government to Indonesian State in 1949, Aceh was amalgamated with the nearby province of North Sumatra, leading to resentment from many AcehneseAcehnese people
The Acehnese are a people in Aceh, Indonesia. Their homeland is located in the northern-most tip of the island of Sumatra and had a history of political struggle against the Dutch...
due to many ethnic-differences between themselves and the mostly Christian Batak
Batak (Indonesia)
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing, each of which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and...
people who dominate North Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. This resentment resulted in a rebellion in 1953, under the banner of Islamic State (Darul Islam), led by Daud Bereueh. Putting down the rebellion took years to complete. In 1959 the Indonesian government yielded in part and gave Aceh a "special territory" (daerah istimewa) status, giving it a greater degree of autonomy from the central government in Jakarta than most other regions of Indonesia have. For example, the regional government is empowered to construct a legal system independent of the national government. In 2003, a form of sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, or Islamic law, was formally introduced in Aceh. In 1963, Daud Bereueh signed a peace agreement, marking the end of Islamic Rebellion.
Free Aceh Movement
During 1970s, under agreement with Indonesian central government, American oil and gas companies began exploitation of Aceh natural resources. Alleged unequal distribution of profit between central government and native people of Aceh induced Hasan di TiroHasan di Tiro
Tengku Hasan Muhammad di Tiro , born Hasan Bin Leube Muhammad, was the founder of the Free Aceh Movement , an organization which attempted to separate Aceh from Indonesia from the 1970s. It surrendered its separatist goals and agreed to disarm as agreed to in the Helsinki peace deal of 2005...
, former ambassador of Darul Islam, to call for Independent Aceh. He proclaimed Aceh Independence in 1976.
The movement had a small number of followers initially, and Hasan di Tiro himself had to live in exile in Sweden. Meanwhile, the province followed Suharto's policy of economic development and industrialization. During late 80s several security incidents prompted the Indonesian central government to take repressive measures and to send troops to Aceh. Human rights abuse was rampant for the next decade, resulting in many grievances on the part of the Acehnese toward the Indonesian central government.
During late 90s, chaos in Java and an ineffective central government gave an advantage to Free Aceh Movement
Free Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
and resulted in the second phase of the rebellion, this time with large support from the Acehnese people. This support was demonstrated during the 2000 plebiscite in Banda Aceh which was attended by nearly half million people (of four million population of the province). Indonesian central government responded in 2001 by broadening Aceh's autonomy by giving its government the right to apply sharia law more broadly and the right to receive direct foreign investment. This was again accompanied by repressive measures, however and in 2003 an offensive began and a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
was proclaimed in the Province. The war was still going on when the Tsunami Disaster of 2004 struck the province.
Exxon Mobil human rights abuse lawsuit
On June 21, 2001 11 villagers from a Acehen village in the North Aceh RegencyNorth Aceh Regency
North Aceh Regency is a regency in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 3,477.92 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 632,200 people.- Economy :...
used the Alien Tort Claims Act to sue Exxon Mobil in United States federal court for human rights abuses at the Arun natural gas field. The villagers claim they were tortured, raped, or murdered by Indonesian military soldiers. They claimed that Exxon Mobil created barracks and gave the Indonesian military (who were used to guard a natural gas field) heavy equipment to cover mass burials after a clash with separatists. Exxon Mobil reportedly shut down the site because of escalating violence. The villagers need to reveal their identities to receive government protection from Indonesia, but are reluctant due to reprisals from the Indonesian military.
Tsunami Disaster
The western coastal areas of Aceh, including the cities of Banda AcehBanda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
, Calang, and Meulaboh
Meulaboh
Meulaboh is the capital of West Aceh Regency, Indonesia. Meulaboh is among the hardest hit areas by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Being just 150 km from the epicenter of the earthquake, Meulaboh was hit by tsunami, leaving the estimated deaths of 40,000 people out of 120,000...
, were among the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
resulting from the Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
on 26 December 2004. While estimates vary, approximately 230,000 people were killed by the earthquake and tsunami in Aceh, and about 500,000 were left homeless. The tragedy of the tsunami was further compounded on March 26 when a second off-shore earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale struck the sea bed between the islands of Simeulue Island in Aceh and Nias
Nias
Nīas is an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago, containing the Hinako archipelago....
in North Sumatra. This second quake killed a further 905 people on Nias and Simeulue, displaced tens of thousands more and caused the tsunami response to be expanded to include Nias.
The population of Aceh before the December 2004 tsunami was 4,271,000 (2004). The population as of 15 September 2005 was 4,031,589.
As of February 2006, more than a year after the tsunami, a large number of people are still living in barrack-style temporary living centers (TLC) or tent
Tent
A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...
s. Reconstruction is visible everywhere, but due to the sheer scale of the disaster, and logistical issues, progress is slow.
The ramifications of the tsunami went beyond the immediate impact to the lives and infrastructure of the Acehnese living on the coast. Since the disaster, the Acehnese rebel movement GAM, which had been fighting for independence against the Indonesian authorities for 29 years, has signed a peace deal (August 15, 2005). The perception that the tsunami was punishment for insufficient piety in this proudly Muslim province is partly behind the increased emphasis on the importance of religion post-tsunami. This has been most obvious in the increased implementation of Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law, including the introduction of the controversial 'WH' or Syariah police. As homes are being built and people's basic needs are met, the people are also looking to improve the quality of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, increase tourism, and develop responsible, sustainable industry. Well-qualified educators are in high demand in Aceh.
While parts of Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
, the capital, were unscathed, the areas closest to the water, especially the areas of Kampung Jawa and Meuraxa, were completely destroyed. Most of the rest of the western coast was severely damaged, and many towns completely disappeared. Other towns on Aceh's west coast hit by the disaster include Lhoknga
Lhoknga
Lhoknga, , is a town in the subdistrict of Aceh Besar, Aceh, Indonesia, located on the western side of the island of Sumatra, 13 km southwest of Banda Aceh. It was completely flattened and destroyed by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, where its population dwindled from 7500 to 400...
, Leupung
Leupung
Leupung -- also spelled "Leupueng", is a town in the district of Aceh Besar, close to the city of Banda Aceh, the capital of the special territory of Aceh, Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra. Leupung is located at 5'31" North latitude and 95'15" East longitude at an elevation of 33 m...
, Lamno, Patek
Pátek
Pátek is a village and municipality in Nymburk District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. -Notes:*This article was initially translated from the Czech Wikipedia....
, Calang
Calang
Calang, the capital of the Aceh Jaya Regency of the special territory of Aceh was on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It had a population of about 12,000 though it was reported to have "vanished completely leaving only scattered shards of concrete" as a result of the tsunami produced by the 2004...
, Teunom
Teunom
Teunom, a town in the West Aceh Regency of Aceh province on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, with a population of about 12,000, was reported to have "vanished completely leaving only scattered shards of concrete" as a result of the tsunami produced by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.U.S...
, and the island of Simeulue
Simeulue
Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It occupies the whole island of Simeulue , 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra, with a population of 80,279 ....
. Affected or destroyed towns on the region's north & east coast include Pidie Regency
Pidie Regency
Pidie Regency is bordered with Malacca Strait in the north, Aceh Besar in the west, Bireuen Regency in the east, and Aceh Jaya Regency in the south...
, Samalanga
Samalanga
Samalanga is a city in north coast of Aceh, part of Bireun district. The main occupations of the population are fishing, agriculture and animal husbandry....
, and Lhokseumawe
Lhokseumawe
Lhokseumawe is the second largest city in Aceh province, Indonesia. It faces the Malacca Strait, and is surrounded by North Aceh Regency . The city covers an area of 212 square kilometres. According to the 2000 census Lhokseumawe had a population of 188,974 people...
.
The area is slowly being rebuilt after the disaster. The government initially proposed the creation of a two-kilometer buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
along low-lying coastal areas, within which permanent construction is not permitted. This proposal was unpopular among some local inhabitants and proved impractical in most situations, especially fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
families that are dependent on living near to the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
.
Indonesian government has built special agency for Aceh reconstruction, called Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi
Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi
Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi NAD-Nias, or Agency for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh and Nias, is an Indonesian government agency which coordinated and jointly implemented the recovery programme following the Indian Ocean tsunami that mostly affected Aceh in December 2004, and...
(BRR/Agency of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction) headed by Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, former Indonesian Minister. This agency has ministry level of authority and incorporating officials, professionals and community leaders from all background.
Most of the reconstruction work is being performed by local people using a mix of traditional methods and partial prefabricated structures, with funding coming from many international organizations and individuals, governments, and the people themselves.
The Government of Indonesia estimated in their Preliminary Damage and Losses Assessment that damages amounted to US$4.5 billion (before inflation, and US$6.2 billion including inflation). Three years after the tsunami, reconstruction was still ongoing. The World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
monitors funding for reconstruction in Aceh and reports that US$7.7 billion was earmarked for the reconstruction, whilst at June 2007, US$5.8 billion had been allocated to specific reconstruction projects, of which US$3.4 billion had actually been spent (58%).
In 2009, the government opened a US$5.6 million museum
Aceh Tsunami Museum
The Aceh Tsunami Museum, located in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, is a museum designed as a symbolic reminder of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami disaster, as well as an educational center and an emergency disaster shelter in case the area is ever hit by a tsunami again.- Design :The Aceh...
to commemorate the tsunami with photographs, stories, and a simulation of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami.
The peace agreement and first local elections
The 2004 tsunami helped trigger a peace agreement between the GAMFree Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
and the Indonesian government (PDF format). It drew a lot of international attention to the conflict, wiped out many supplies, and killed many personnel from both sides. Earlier efforts had failed, but for a number of reasons, including the tsunami, peace prevailed in 2005 after 29 years of war. Post-Suharto Indonesia and the liberal-democratic reform period, as well as changes in the Indonesian military, helped create an environment more favorable to peace talks. The roles of newly elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
and Vice President Jusuf Kalla
Jusuf Kalla
is an Indonesian politician who was the 10th Vice President of Indonesia from 2004 to 2009 and Chairman of the Golkar Party during the same period. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2009 presidential election.-Early life:...
were highly significant. At the same time, the GAM leadership was undergoing changes, and the Indonesian military
Military of Indonesia
The Indonesian National Armed Forces in 2009 comprises approximately 432,129 personnel including the Army , Navy including the Indonesian Marine Corps and the Air Force ....
had arguably inflicted so much damage on the rebel movement that it had no choice but to negotiate with the central government. The peace talks were facilitated by a Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
-based NGO, the Crisis Management Initiative
Crisis Management Initiative
Crisis Management Initiative is an independent, non-governmental organisation that works to resolve conflict and to build sustainable peace. CMI has offices in Helsinki and Brussels and activities in Liberia, Ethiopia, the Black Sea region, Middle East and Aceh. It was founded by Martti Ahtisaari,...
, and led by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland , Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work....
. The resulting peace agreement (PDF format) was signed on August 15, 2005. Under the agreement, Aceh would receive special autonomy and government troops would be withdrawn from the province in exchange for GAM's disarmament. As part of the agreement, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
dispatched 300 monitors
Aceh monitoring mission
The Aceh Monitoring Mission , established by the European Union according to the Memorandum of Understanding between former Acehnese rebel movement GAM and the Government of Indonesia on 15 August 2005...
. Their mission expired on December 15, 2006, following local elections.
Aceh has been granted broader autonomy through Aceh Government Legislation covering special rights agreed upon in 2002 as well as the right of the Acehnese to establish local political parties to represent their interests. Human rights advocates protested that previous human rights violations in the province needed to be addressed, however.
During elections for the provincial governor held in December 2006, the former GAM and national parties participated. The election was won by Irwandi Yusuf
Irwandi Yusuf
Irwandi Yusuf , is the current Governor of the Indonesian province of Aceh. He won the 2006 Aceh regional election as an independent candidate , along with Muhammad Nazar, S. Ag...
, whose base of support consists largely of ex-GAM members.
Administration
Within the country, 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 JakartaJakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
.
Administratively, the province is subdivided into 18 regencies (kabupaten) and 5 cities (kota). The capital and the largest city is Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
, located on the coast near the northern tip of Sumatra. Some local areas are pushing to create new autonomous areas, usually with the stated goal of enhancing local control over politics and development.
| Name | Capital | Est. | Statute !! Area (km²) !! Population 2010 Census |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aceh Besar Regency | Jantho Jantho Jantho is a small city in Aceh province of Indonesia. Jantho is the seat of local government for the Aceh Besar Regency.Jantho became famous by a report, where a woman was public whipped according to sharia law [1][2].- References :... |
1956 | UU 24/1956 | ||
| West Aceh (Aceh Barat) Regency | Meulaboh Meulaboh Meulaboh is the capital of West Aceh Regency, Indonesia. Meulaboh is among the hardest hit areas by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Being just 150 km from the epicenter of the earthquake, Meulaboh was hit by tsunami, leaving the estimated deaths of 40,000 people out of 120,000... |
1956 | UU 24/1956 | ||
| Southwest Aceh (Aceh Barat Daya) Regency Southwest Aceh Regency Southwest Aceh Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 2334.01 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 110,667 people... |
Blangpidie Blangpidie Blangpidie or Blang Pidie is a town in the Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the capital of Southwest Aceh Regency. Blangpidie is located on the west coast of Sumatra island and the main Banda Aceh — Medan road passes through the town.... |
2002 | UU 4/2002 | ||
| Aceh Jaya Regency | Calang Calang Calang, the capital of the Aceh Jaya Regency of the special territory of Aceh was on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It had a population of about 12,000 though it was reported to have "vanished completely leaving only scattered shards of concrete" as a result of the tsunami produced by the 2004... |
2002 | UU 4/2002 | ||
| South Aceh (Aceh Selatan) Regency South Aceh Regency South Aceh Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 3,851.69 square kilometres and according to the 2010 census had a population of 202,003 people.... |
Tapaktuan Tapaktuan Tapaktuan is a town in the southwest of Aceh province. The city is the capital of South Aceh Regency.-Further reading:... |
1956 | UU 24/1956 | ||
| Aceh Singkil Regency Aceh Singkil Regency Aceh Singkil Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It is situated largely on the island of Sumatra, but also includes the offshore Banyak Islands, the largest of which is Tuangku , with the principal town of Alaban... |
Singkil Singkil, Indonesia Singkil is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Aceh Singkil Regency.... |
1999 | UU 14/1999 | ||
| Aceh Tamiang Regency Aceh Tamiang Regency Aceh Tamiang Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 1,939 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 234,611 people.The seat of the regency government is at Karang Baru.... |
Karang Baru Karang Baru Karang Baru is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Aceh Tamiang Regency.... |
2002 | UU 4/2002 | ||
| Central Aceh (Aceh Tengah) Regency Central Aceh Regency Central Aceh is a regency in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province, Indonesia.The regency covers an area of 4318.39 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 177,631 people. Most of its inhabitants are Gayo. Central Aceh is famous for its Lake Laut Tawar. Its capital is... |
Takengon Takengon Takengon is a town in Aceh, a province of Indonesia and is the seat of the Central Aceh Regency. The town is in the highlands of western Sumatra and situated on the shores of Lake Lut Tawar. The region around Takengon is well-known for its coffee. The indigenous people in Takengon are the Gayonese... |
1956 | UU 24/1956 | ||
| Southeast Aceh (Aceh Tenggara) Regency Southeast Aceh Regency Southeast Aceh Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 4,231.41 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 105,653 people. The seat of the regency government is at Kutacane.In 1969, the Southeast Aceh Regency was separated... |
Kutacane Kutacane Kutacane is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Southeast Aceh Regency. Kutacane is known as the main gate to the Gunung Leuser National Park.... |
1974 | UU 7/1974 | ||
| East Aceh (Aceh Timur) Regency East Aceh Regency East Aceh Regency is a regency in eastern Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The regency covers an area of 6906 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 628,288 people.... |
Idi Rayeuk Idi Rayeuk Idi Rayeuk is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of East Aceh Regency.... |
1956 | UU 24/1956 | ||
| North Aceh (Aceh Utara) Regency North Aceh Regency North Aceh Regency is a regency in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 3,477.92 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 632,200 people.- Economy :... |
Lhoksukon Lhoksukon Lhoksukon is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of North Aceh Regency.... |
1956 | UU 24/1956 | ||
| Bener Meriah Regency Bener Meriah Regency Bener Meriah Regency is a regency in Aceh province, Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 1,457 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 65,018 people.Its capital is Simpang Tiga Redelong... |
Simpang Tiga Redelong Simpang Tiga Redelong Simpang Tiga Redelong is a town in Aceh province, Indonesia and since 18 December 2003 it has been the seat of Bener Meriah Regency.... |
2003 | UU 41/2003 | ||
| Bireuen Regency | Bireuen Bireuen Bireuën Regency, is a regency of Aceh, Indonesia. The capital is Bireuën, 105 miles east of the provincial capital, Banda Aceh. The regency covers an area of 1,899 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 340,271 people.It is bordered by the Strait of Malacca on the... |
1999 | UU 48/1999 | ||
| Gayo Lues Regency Gayo Lues Regency Gayo Lues Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. Its capital is Blangkejeren. The regency covers an area of 5,719 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 60,800 people.... |
Blangkejeren Blangkejeren Blang Kejeren is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Gayo Lues Regency.... |
2002 | UU 4/2002 | ||
| Nagan Raya Regency Nagan Raya Regency Nagan Raya Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. The seat of the regency government is at Suka Makmue. The regency covers an area of 3,928 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 63,640 people.... |
Suka Makmue Suka Makmue Suka Makmue is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Nagan Raya Regency.... |
2002 | UU 4/2002 | ||
| Pidie Regency Pidie Regency Pidie Regency is bordered with Malacca Strait in the north, Aceh Besar in the west, Bireuen Regency in the east, and Aceh Jaya Regency in the south... |
Sigli Sigli Sigli is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Pidie Regency.Sigli is locate 112 kilometers from Banda Aceh.SportPersatuan Sepakbola Aceh Pidie is the football club from Sigli.... |
1956 | UU 24/1956 | ||
| Pidie Jaya Regency Pidie Jaya Regency Pidie Jaya Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. The seat of the regency government is at Meureudu. The regency covers an area of 1073.6 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 139,779 people.- Administrative divisions :... |
Meureudu Meureudu Meureudu or Keude Meureudu is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Pidie Jaya Regency.... |
2007 | UU 7/2007 | ||
| Simeulue Regency | Sinabang Sinabang Sinabang is a city on the east coast of Simeulue Island, which lies off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia... |
1999 | UU 48/1999 | ||
| Banda Aceh Banda Aceh Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people... |
* | 1956 | UU 24/1956 | ||
| Langsa Langsa Langsa is a city in Aceh, Indonesia. It is also called Kota Langsa in Indonesian. The city covers an area of 262.41 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 117,256 people.... |
** | 2001 | UU 3/2001 | ||
| Lhokseumawe Lhokseumawe Lhokseumawe is the second largest city in Aceh province, Indonesia. It faces the Malacca Strait, and is surrounded by North Aceh Regency . The city covers an area of 212 square kilometres. According to the 2000 census Lhokseumawe had a population of 188,974 people... |
** | 2001 | UU 2/2001 | ||
| Sabang Sabang Sabang is a city consisting of several islands in Aceh, Indonesia. The metropolitan area is located on Weh Island, 17 km north of Banda Aceh. The city covers an area of 118 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 23,654 people... |
** | ||||
| Subulussalam Subulussalam Subulussalam is a city in Aceh province of Indonesia. Since 2 January 2007, the provincial government of Aceh declared Subussalam as city as a result of the administration expansion from Aceh Singkil Regency. It is located at . As of 2010, the population was 67,316... |
** | 2007 | UU 8/2007 |
Economy of Aceh
In 2006, economy of Aceh grew by 7.7% after having minimal growth since the devastating tsunami. This growth was primarily driven by the reconstruction effort, with massive growth in the building/construction sector.The ending of the conflict, and the reconstruction program has resulted in the structure of the economy changing significantly since 2003. Service sectors now play a more dominant role, whilst oil and gas production continues to decline. The economy continues to rely upon depleting oil and gas production and agriculture.
| Sector (% Aceh GDP) | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and fisheries | 17.0 | 20.0 | 21.4 | 21.2 |
| Oil, Gas and Mining | 36.1 | 30.4 | 26.2 | 24.9 |
| Manufacturing Industries | 20.2 | 18.3 | 15.9 | 14.3 |
| Electricity and Water Supply | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Building / Construction | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 5.1 |
| Trade, hotels and restaurants | 11.2 | 12.0 | 14.3 | 15.0 |
| Transport & Communication | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 5.2 |
| Banking & other Financial | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Services | 7.8 | 10.4 | 12.7 | 12.9 |
After peaking at 41.5% in December 2005, inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
has continued to decline steadily and was 8.5% in June 2007, close to the national level in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
of 5.7%. Persistent inflation means that Aceh’s consumer price index
Consumer price index
A consumer price index measures changes in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by households. The CPI, in the United States is defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as "a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of...
(CPI) remains the highest in Indonesia. As a result, Aceh’s cost competitiveness has declined as reflected in both inflation and wage data. Although inflation has slowed down, CPI has registered steady increases since the tsunami. Using 2002 as a base, Aceh’s CPI increased to 185.6 (June 2007) while the national
CPI increased to 148.2. There have been relatively large nominal wage increases in particular sectors, such as construction where, on average, workers’ nominal wages have risen to almost Rp.60,000 per day, from Rp.29,000 pre-tsunami. This is also reflected in Aceh’s minimum regional wage (UMR, or Upah Minimum Regional), which increased by 55% from Rp.550,000 pre-tsunami to Rp.850,000 in 2007, compared with an increase of 42% in neighboring North Sumatra
North Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
, from Rp.537,000 to Rp.761,000.
Poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
levels increased slightly in Aceh in 2005 after the tsunami, but by less than expected. The poverty level then fell in 2006 to below the pre-tsunami level, suggesting that the rise in tsunami-related poverty was short lived and reconstruction activities and the end of the conflict most probably facilitated this decline. However, poverty in Aceh remains significantly higher than in the rest of Indonesia and a large number of the Acehnese remain vulnerable, reinforcing the need for a smooth landing after the reconstruction boom ends.
Ethnic and cultural groups
Acehnese people
The Acehnese are a people in Aceh, Indonesia. Their homeland is located in the northern-most tip of the island of Sumatra and had a history of political struggle against the Dutch...
(who are distributed throughout Aceh), Gayo (in central and eastern part), Alas (in southeastern), Tamiang (in Aceh Tamiang Regency
Aceh Tamiang Regency
Aceh Tamiang Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 1,939 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 234,611 people.The seat of the regency government is at Karang Baru....
), Aneuk Jamee (descendant from Minangkabau, concentrated in southern and southwestern), Kluet (in South Aceh), and Simeulue
Simeulue
Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It occupies the whole island of Simeulue , 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra, with a population of 80,279 ....
(on Simeulue
Simeulue
Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh province of Indonesia. It occupies the whole island of Simeulue , 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra, with a population of 80,279 ....
Island). There is also a significant population of Chinese
Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians, also called the Indonesian Chinese, are an overseas Chinese group whose ancestors emigrated from China to Indonesia, formerly a colony of the Netherlands known as the Dutch East Indies...
, who are influential in the business and financial communities.
The Acehnese language
Acehnese language
Acehnese or Aceh is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by Acehnese people natively in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia...
is widely spoken within the Acehnese population. This is a member of the Aceh-Chamic group of languages, whose other representatives are mostly found in Vietnam and Cambodia, and is also closely related to the Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
group of languages. Acehnese also has many words borrowed from Malay and Arabic and traditionally was written using Arabic script. Acehnese is also used as local language in Langkat and Asahan (North Sumatra
North Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
), and Kedah (Malaysia), and once dominated Penang. Alas and Kluet are closely related languages within the Batak
Batak (Indonesia)
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing, each of which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and...
group. The Jamee language originated from Minangkabau language
Minangkabau language
The Minangkabau language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, the western part of Riau, South Aceh Regency, the northern part of Bengkulu and Jambi, also in several cities throughout Indonesia by migrated Minangkabau, who often trade or have a restaurant...
in West Sumatra
West Sumatra
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra. It borders the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast...
, with just a few variations and differences.
Aceh was once a meeting point for people from many nations, and among the present day Acehnese can be found some individuals of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
, Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent. Before the tsunami, the region of Meureuhom Daya (Lamno) used to have an unusually high number of people with fair complexions, blue eyes and blond hair, and local traditions attributed to Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
or Portuguese ancestry.
Population Census
The population of Aceh was not adequately counted during the Indonesia 2000 censusIndonesia 2000 census
The Indonesia 2000 census or Indonesia Census 2000 was carried out with the fix-date 2000-06-30 and counted 203 million people, a revised figure of 206 264 595 people with estimates was deemed as official...
, much of it was estimated due to the insurgency making counting difficult. After the devastating tsunami of 2004, the population also took a large hit. However, according to the 2010 census, the total population of the province is 4,486,570 people.
Environment
Pusat Latihan Gajah (Centre for Elephant Training) at Saree, so it called PLG-Saree was set up in 1994 within Tjut Nyak Dien Forest park, about 70 kilometers from Banda AcehBanda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
with 6,300 hectares at the foot of Mount Seulawah under the protection of the provincial forestry and plantations office. At May 2011, there are 48 elephants trained by 45 mahot (instructors) for 25 out of 40 instructions given by trainers. Each elephant has its own handler or instructor. Elephants are meek rather than aggressive, except they feel threatened. The elephants are saved from the villagers and vice versa which frequently conflicted between them when they are wild.
Guerrilla Jungle Tracking
Since 2007, Aceh province with ex-GAMFree Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
guerrillas has developed Guerrilla Jungle Tracking mostly at Pucok Krueng, Aceh Besar
Aceh Besar
Aceh Besar Regency is a regency of Aceh province, Indonesia. The regency covers an area of 2686 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 225,948 people. The regency is located at the northwest tip of Sumatra island and it covers an area including the provincial...
regency which near Strait of Malacca
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...
with origin forest, monkey, sun bear, eagle and swallow. It attracts many foreign tourists.
Further reading
- Siegel, James T. 2000. The rope of God. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0-472-08682-0
- A classic ethnographicEthnographyEthnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
and historical study of Aceh, and Islam in the region. Originally published in 1969 - For other ethnographic accounts in English see
- Bowen, J. R. (1991). Sumatran politics and poetics : Gayo history, 1900-1989. New Haven, Yale University Press.
- Bowen, J. R. (2003). Islam, Law, and Equality in Indonesia Cambridge University Press
- Iwabuchi, A. (1994). The people of the Alas Valley : a study of an ethnic group of Northern Sumatra. Oxford, England ; New York, Clarendon Press.
- McCarthy, J. F. (2006). The Fourth Circle. A Political Ecology of Sumatra's Rainforest Frontier, Stanford University Press.
- Miller, Michelle Ann. (2009). Rebellion and Reform in Indonesia. Jakarta's Security and Autonomy Policies in Aceh. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-415-45467-4
- A classic ethnographic