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ACEH, ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE INS, DEN HAAG 17-5-2013
In the Senate building of the Dutch Parliament, opened by Mr.Fred.J. de Graaf, President of the Senate and in attendance of Her Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno L.P. Marsudi , a seminar took place. Keynote speech was given by Mr.Pieter.C. Feith, Head of the Eu-led ACEH Monitoring Mission (AMM) in Indonesia in 2005-2006.
Looking around in the beautiful historical library, were the Seminar took place my thoughts drifted to our historical colonial past. Long before the arrival of the Europeans the Sultanate of Aceh had tis golden age in the 15th century, its territory and political influence expanded as far as Thailand, Johor in Malay Peninsula and Siak in what is today the province of Riau. During the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda in the 17th century, Aceh’s influence extended to most of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. In the 1820s it was the producer of over half the world’s supply of black pepper. We often forget that Indonesia had a long history long before the Portuguese, Dutch, and English made their entrance.
By the early nineteenth century, Aceh had become an increasingly influential power due to its strategic location for controlling regional trade.
Under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 (do not forget the Dutch were the fazals of the English) the British ceded their colonial possessions on Sumatra to the Dutch. In the treaty, the British described Aceh as one of their possession, although they had no control over the Sultanate. Under the Agreement the Dutch agreed to respect Aceh’s independence.

However with the opening of the Suez Canal ( 1869 ) the ships coming from Europe on their way to Bantam, Java did not longer used the Strait of Soenda but the Strait of Malay on their way to China and other contries like Japan.
At a certain point, pirating out of Aceh threatened commerce in the Strait of Malacca; the sultan was unable to control them. As Aceh was still under the protection of the English they asked the Dutch in 1870 to take care of the pirates and gave the Dutch Aceh. They drove out the Sultan very fast, but the local leaders mobilized and fought the Dutch in four decades of guerilla war. (History repeats itself think anno 2013 of the pirates in the Red Sea.)
The Dutch colonial government declared war on Aceh in 1873. The war lasted until 1913, and I am very sorry to say the Dutch committed many atrocities in war zones. Aceh and the Banda Islands a dark page in our colonial history.
During World War II Japanese troops occupied Aceh. After the transfer of authority from Dutch government to the Indonesian State in 1949, Aceh was fused with the nearby province of North Sumatra, leading to resentment from many Acehnese due to many ethnic differences between themselves and the mostly Christian Batak people who dominate North Sumatra. The Free Aceh Movement was born. ( GAM) This resentment resulted in the Acehnese Rebellion of 1953-59. In 1963 a peace agreement was signed marking the end of Islamic Rebellion.
Aceh is located at the northern end of Sumatra. Aceh is thought to have been the place where the Spread of Islam in Indonesia started, and was a key part of the Spread of Islam in Southeast Asia. Aceh has the highest proportions of Muslims within Indonesia. Mainly living according Sharia customs and laws.
Aceh also 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 resources including oil and natural gas-.recourses. One estimates Aceh gas reserves as being the largest in the world. 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 people of Aceh induced the former Ambassador of Darul Islam to call for independent Aceh. (In Europe we know the problem see Scotland and Great Britain) He proclaimed Aceh Independence in 1976. In the decennia that followed there were often bitter disagreements and fights between the Central Government in Jakarta and the Free Movement people in Aceh
Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and tsunami, which devastated much of the western coast of the province.
Approximately 170.000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster.
The disaster helped reach the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The tsunami drew international attention to the conflict, wiped out many supplies, and killed many personnel from both sides. An environment was created more favorable to peace talks. Due to the political will of newly elected president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and vice president Jusuf Kala a new climate existed.
The peace talks were facilitated by a Finland-based NGO, by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari. The resulting peace agreement, generally known as the Helsinki MOU.
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 selected for this task by President Yudhoyono and his government dispatched 300 monitors. Their mission under de leadership of Mr. Peter Feith expired on December 15, 2006, following local elections.
Joty ter Kulve, Wassenaar mei 17.