Aceh (pronounced Ah-chay) is a special territory (daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its current official name is Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam; past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin.
Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which triggered Tsunamis that devastated much of the western coast of the region, including the capital city of Banda Aceh. Over 170,000 persons were listed as dead or missing, with a further 500,000 plus being made homeless.
Aceh region has a strategic position as the gate of trading and cultural traffic, which has been connecting East and West since the past centuries. It is known as a transit place of Chinese, European, Indian and Arab merchants. This relationship made Aceh region as the first entrance of culture and religion into the Southeast-Asian archipelago.
Aceh is known for its political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and, until recently, the central government of Indonesia.
Aceh has substantial natural resources, including coal, oil and gas. Aceh's main income earners are petroleum and natural gas, fertilizer, estate produce and agriculture.
For the last 30 years, it has been torn by a separatist conflict waged by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) against Jakarta rooted in issues over control of natural resources, regional economic approaches, cultural values, system of government as well as historical and legal issues over the transfer of Aceh region to Indonesia by the Dutch in 1945.
Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which triggered Tsunamis that devastated much of the western coast of the region, including the capital city of Banda Aceh. Over 170,000 persons were listed as dead or missing, with a further 500,000 plus being made homeless.
Aceh region has a strategic position as the gate of trading and cultural traffic, which has been connecting East and West since the past centuries. It is known as a transit place of Chinese, European, Indian and Arab merchants. This relationship made Aceh region as the first entrance of culture and religion into the Southeast-Asian archipelago.
Aceh is known for its political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and, until recently, the central government of Indonesia.
Aceh has substantial natural resources, including coal, oil and gas. Aceh's main income earners are petroleum and natural gas, fertilizer, estate produce and agriculture.
For the last 30 years, it has been torn by a separatist conflict waged by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) against Jakarta rooted in issues over control of natural resources, regional economic approaches, cultural values, system of government as well as historical and legal issues over the transfer of Aceh region to Indonesia by the Dutch in 1945.
Tsunami disaster
Thewestern coastal areas of Aceh, including the cities of Banda Aceh, Calang, and Meulaboh, were among the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami resulting from the Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 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 26th when a second off-shore earthquake measuring 8.7 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, almost 2% of the Indonesian population.
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 tents. Reconstruction is visible everywhere, but due to the sheer scale of the disaster, logistical issues, and the lack of funding, progress is slow.
Thewestern coastal areas of Aceh, including the cities of Banda Aceh, Calang, and Meulaboh, were among the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami resulting from the Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 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 26th when a second off-shore earthquake measuring 8.7 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, almost 2% of the Indonesian population.
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 tents. Reconstruction is visible everywhere, but due to the sheer scale of the disaster, logistical issues, and the lack of funding, progress is slow.
The ramifications of the tsunami went beyond the immediate impact 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 15th 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 Syariah 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 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.
