The struggle of the Acehnese... a land of
fightings
Aceh is a picture of resistance.. from the
7th century which continues on up to the 21st century. According
to Snock Hurgronje, the VOC's advisor, the resistance was due to
the Islamic fanatism of theAcehnese. Beside highly devoted, the
Acehnese also love martial art and very smart with tricks.
The following is the chronolgy of the fighting
that goes on in Aceh
873-1914: Aceh War against the Dutch. 37.500
Dutch and 70.000 Acehnese were killed.
1948-1949: 3.000 Acehnese fought "Medan
Area" War, fighting for the independence of Indonesia
September 1953: Daud Beureuh proclaimed
the Indonesian Islamic State that include Aceh and the surrounding
areas
1959: Aceh was granted "Special Territory"
in Indonesia, with the rights to control issues related to education,
religion and judiciary.
4 Desember 1976: Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan
Aceh Merdeka, GAM), led by Dr. Tengku
Hasan Tiro, proclaimed independence
April 1990: The separatist movement in Aceh
(gerombolan pengacau keamanan, GPK) escalated. A Police Department
Office was burnt down and an officer was killed,
May 1990: Another separatist fighting. Aceh
Governor asked for more military forces in Aceh, that marked the
establishment of Military Operation Territory in Aceh (DOM, Daerah
Operasi Militer). During this period of military rule, human rights
violations soared as police and military intentionally targeted
the civilian population as a means to destroy the armed resistance
(the Free Aceh Movement) fighting for Aceh independence.
July 1990: The number of the soldiers in
Aceh increased from 6,000 to 12,000 since the meeting of President
Suharto and Ibrahim Hasan, Aceh governor.
1991-1995: It was estimated that there wree
5,000 Aceh separatists that seek refugee abroad, including to Malaysia,
The courts that execute Aceh separatists were held in various location,
executing separatists including Hasbi
Abdullah, faculty member of Economics Department of Syiahkuala Unviersity
(Unsyiah), which was executed for 14 years. According to Amnesty
Internasional, there were approximately 2,000 separatists executed
without court session.
October 1996: Dayan Dawood, the president
of Syiahkuala University suggested that the "dangerous area"
status for Aceh should be lifted, due to its impact in increasing
the risk factor of Aceh, creating unfavorable atmosphere for the
economic development in Aceh.
December 1996: Colonel Suwahyu, the head
of Police Department in Aceh, who suggested that Aceh was safe and
military operation should be ended, was fired. Pressures to remove
the "dangerous area" staus for Aceh were increasing.
February-April 1997: The request to remove
the status of "dangerous area" for Aceh was declined,
due to the robbery of Bank Central Asia, in which the separatists
(GAM) were accused. The military forces also claimed that they found
many weapons hidden by GAM.
1998: A research done by Syiahkuala University
revealed that 66% of the respondents considered Aceh as a safe area
and did not require "dangerous area" status.
April-May 1998: The pressure against DOM
got stronger. Due to students' request, the legislative body negotiated
with the Ministry of Security to lift "dangerous area"
status. Facts Finder Team were formed by the National Legislative
Body (DPR). Investigations into the atrocities committed by the
Indonesian military began. Human rights organizations reported that
over 1,300 people were killed during DOM and thousands were tortured.
At least 12 mass graves were discovered.
Julyi 1998: Aceh Governor, Syamsuddin Mahmud
sent a formal request to President B.J. Habibie, to remove Military
Operation in Aceh
Agustus 1998: General Wiranto deactivated
Military Operation (DOM) in Aceh, but later reactivated it again
afater a major upheaval during the deactivation.
September 1998: General Wiranto decided
to delay the deactivation until Aceh is considered safe. DOM was
officially ended in 1998.
Since then, President Abdurrahman Wahid first
offered, then withdrew the offer to allow a referendum on independence
for Aceh. Calls for a referendum have mounted in Aceh and in November
1999 over a million people gathered in the city of Banda Aceh to
demand a referendum. Violence has escalated as thousands of Indonesian
troops have been sent to the region. An estimated 7-10 people are
being killed on a daily basis in Aceh now.
Since January 2000, Kontras-Aceh, a local
human rights organization, has reported more than 670 killings and
161 disappearances in Aceh. The Indonesian military and police act
without impunity in the resource-rich region. Prominent civic leaders
and humanitarian workers have been executed.
Source:
The Atceh News and forum-aceh@mailroom.com
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