:: Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Travel Guides ::
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 i
s 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 Tsunami disaster
The
western
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.
Come and Discover Indonesia Islands with us!
