Aceh
Aceh, or in full Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam is a special territory (daerah istimewa) in Indonesia. To the east of Aceh is the province Sumatera Utara, with the border running roughly north-south.
Basics
The population of Aceh is estimated at 4.2 million (2000), or 3% of the Indonesian population and nearly a quarter of the population of the province of Sumatra. Aceh possesses one of Indonesia's largest reserves of oil and natural gas. A number of multinational corporations, such as Exxon Mobil, maintain a presence in Aceh.
History
It is believed that Islam first entered Southeast Asia through Aceh in the 8th century. In the 18th century, the Islamic kingdom of Aceh was involved in a power struggle between British and Dutch colonial interests.
In 1824, the Anglo-Dutch treaty was signed, effectively giving the Dutch control of British possessions in Sumatra. The Dutch agreed to allow the independence of Aceh, possibly to serve as a buffer state. In 1871, the British allowed the Dutch to invade Aceh, possibly to prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the region. The Dutch found gaining control of Aceh difficult: Acehnese guerrilla activity lasted until World War II.
In 1949, the Dutch handed their colonial possessions to Indonesia, including the Kingdom of Aceh. Indonesian troops were dispatched to annex Aceh, causing resentment to what Acehnese view as foreign occupation. In 1959 the Indonesian government yielded and gave Aceh a "special territory" status, giving it a high degree of autonomy in a number of matters. This placated a number of Acehnese, but a pro-independence movement still remains.
Separatist movement
There is a view among the Acehnese that Jakarta exploits Aceh's natural resources, while leaving the region impoverished. Religion is another factor: the majority of Indonesia's Muslims are secular compared to the more devout Acehnese (Acehnese still distance themselves from fundamentalist Islam). Culturally, Aceh is also distinct from mainstream Indonesia. The Indonesian government's policy of culturally 'unifying' the entire archipelago to increase stability is unpopular among Acehnese (as well as a number of other ethnic groups).
In 2002 the separatists and the Indonesian government agreed on a peace plan. However it collapsed in early 2003 and the government imposed martial law and began a large-scale offensive in the region. In November 2003 the martial law was extended for a further six months. According to a Human Rights Watch report [1], abuses by the Indonesian military are widespread, with more than 100,000 people being displaced in the first seven months of martial law and extra-judicial killings being common.
See also: Free Aceh Movement
External link
- http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/aceh.htm
- http://www.indomedia.com/serambi/
- http://www.preventconflict.org/portal/main/maps_sumatra_overview.php
Administration
The capital and largest city in Aceh is Banda Aceh, located on the coast near the northern tip of Sumatra. Other major cities include Sabang, Lhokseumawe, and Langsa. Administratively, the province is subdivided into seventeen regencies and four municipalities.
Some local areas are pushing to create new autonomous areas, usually with the stated goal of enhancing local control over politics and development. In Aceh Singkil regency, there is a demand to establish the municipality of Subulussalam and in the town of Pidie, around eight districts are seeking to develop a new regency which will be named Meuredu or Pidie Jaya.
Ethnic group
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam is a heterogeneous region which formed by various ethnic groups and languages. The main ethnic groups are Acehnese who are distributed in almost part of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Gayo (who are concentrated in Aceh Tengah, some parts of Aceh Timur, Bener Meriah and Gayo Lues); Alas (concentrated in Aceh Tenggara); Tamiang (who are concentrated in Aceh Tamiang); Aneuk Jamee (concentrated in Aceh Selatan and Aceh Barat Daya); Kluet (concentrated in Aceh Selatan) and Simeulue (concentrated in Simeulue Island). There are other groups like Javanese, Batak, Chinese, Indians, Arabs and more.
There is also a small group of European descendants who live in Kecamatan Jaya, Aceh Jaya. Many of them have blonde hair, white skin and blue eyes. They are believed to be the Islamicized descendants of Portuguese solders. They live with Acehnese traditions and only speak Achinese and Indonesian.