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TIMELINE |
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Early History |
Acheh (also spelled
Achin or Atjeh) is a Buddhist
state that flourished about AD 500 in northern Sumatra,
was visited by Arab, Indian, and Chinese merchants and
pilgrims. According to
some historians, Islam first enters the Indonesian
archipelago, and possibly all of South Asia, through Acheh
sometime around the year 700. The first Islamic kingdom,
Perlak (a prosperous trading port in what is now Acheh), is
established in the year 804. |
|
1607-36 |
Acheh's power reached its height in the time of Sultan
Iskandar Muda. In that period there were frequent wars
with the Portuguese at Malacca, and the Portuguese fleet
was defeated at Bintan in 1614. |
|
1811 |
The Acheh-England Friendship Treaty was signed, firmly
stating mutual defense and that an attack against one is
considered an attack against the other. |
|
Note: This Treaty has never been revoked and under
international law the United Kingdom is still obliged to
defend Acheh foreign aggression. |
|
1824 |
London Treaty (also referred to as the Anglo-Dutch treaty)
is signed. Through this instrument, the Dutch gain control
of all the British possessions on the Island of Sumatra
(including Acheh, at the Island's northern tip). In
exchange, the Dutch surrender their possessions in India
and withdraw all claims in Singapore. In the same treaty,
however, the Dutch agree to allow independence for Acheh. |
|
1871 |
The British authorize the Dutch to invade Acheh, possibly
to prevent French annexation. This begins the Acheh War,
which lasts intermittently from 1873 to 1942. It is the
longest war ever fought by the Dutch, costing them over
10, 000 lives. |
|
1942 |
The Dutch finally abandon their attempt to occupy Acheh,
shortly before the Japanese invade Indonesia. After
attacking Pearl Harbor, the Japanese turn south to conquer
several South East Asian countries, including Singapore
and Dutch East Indies. In March 1942, the Dutch colonial
army surrenders to the Japanese. |
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August 1945 |
Just days before the Japanese surrendered to the Allies,
the Republic of Indonesia proclaims its independence.
Soon, however, both the British and Dutch are back in the
region, to pursue political and economic interests. |
|
1947 |
Linggarjati Agreement is signed by Indonesia and the
Netherlands in March 1947. In the agreement, the Dutch
recognize Indonesian sovereignty over the Islands of Java,
Sumatra, and Madura. But, many Indonesians view the deal
as a violation of Indonesia's 1945 independence
proclamation, which implied sovereignty over additional
territory. The agreement leads to another four years of
aggression and territorial deputes between the Netherlands
and Indonesia. |
|
1949 |
Round Table Conference Agreements are signed. Brokered
under the auspices of the United Nations, the agreements
provide for a transfer of sovereignty between the
Netherlands' territory of the Dutch East Indies and a
fully independent Indonesia. On December 27, 1949, the
Dutch East Indies ceases to exist and becomes the
sovereignty Federal Republic of Indonesia. The Kingdom of
Acheh is included in the agreements despite the fact that
it has never been formally incorporated into the Dutch
colonial possession. Subsequently, the Java-based
Indonesian government forcibly annexes Acheh. |
|
1950s |
Indonesia experiences the "Darul Islam" ("House of Islam")
rebellion, in which rebels in the West Java countryside
attempt to establish an Islamic state. Achenese support
the rebellion, which takes years to crush. This movement
is viewed as the precursor to Acheh's own independence
movement. |
|
1959 |
Indonesia grants Acheh "special territory" status, which
supposedly confers greater autonomy in religious,
educational, and cultural matters. |
|
1976 |
"Acheh Merdeka" ("Free Acheh") is founded as armed
resistance group to pursue independence for Ace. Achenese
want independence not only because of their history but
also they see themselves as culturally distinct from other
Indonesians, they fell they practice a purer form of
Islam, they believe the Indonesian government exploits
Acheh's natural resources, and they reject the Indonesian
policy of "transmigration". |
|
Late 1970s |
Indonesian authorities conduct mass arrests of Acheh Medeka
members and effectively shut down their activities. |
|
1989 |
Acheh Merdeka is reborn and is also known as the Acheh
Sumatra National Liberation Front. |
|
Early 1990s |
The Indonesian military launches Operation Red Net, a
counterinsurgency campaign. Acheh is designated a military
operations area. |
|
Note: Operation Red Net (DOM period): starts
early 1990s ends August 22, 1998. In that
period the figure of incidents as follows: at
least 9200 were killed;
at least 90.000 people were tortured;
about 18.000 become orphanages;
more
than 300 women and children were raped. |
|
1990 |
Achenese seekers asylum fleeting to Malaysia.
More than 50 Achenese riot at Langkap detention center in
Malaysia to protest impending deportation. |
|
1991 |
Malaysia reportedly arrests over 280 Achenese activists
but keeps them in detention.
Another 550 Achenese were forcibly deported on an
Indonesian Navy ship, many in critical condition and some
died untreated on the ship. Many of them were detained at
the notorious Kopassus Rancong Interrogation Centre (North
Acheh), from where they "disappeared" without a trace. |
|
1995 |
Malaysia grants temporary residence and work authorization
to 183 Achenese, including 53 who were camping at the
UNHCR compound and another 130 who were in Malaysian
detention centers. |
|
December 24, 1996 |
More than 50 Achenese riot at Langkap detention center in
Malaysia to protest impending deportation (the deportation
does not occur). |
|
December 25, 1996 |
Forty Achenese enter the U.S., French, Dutch, Swiss,
British and Italian embassies in Kuala Lumpur and request
asylum. The U.S., French, British and Italian embassies
allow Malaysian police to enter their premises and
forcibly remove the Achenese, whom the police then detain.
Eight asylum seekers remain in the Dutch and Swiss
embassies (in 1997, the UNHCR grants mandate refugee
status to all eight). |
|
1997 |
As a result of the Asian economic crisis, Malaysia starts
deporting large numbers of Indonesian "illegal workers",
but still refrains from deporting Achenese. |
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March 26, 1998 |
Malaysia deports 545 Achenese from detention centers.
Riots break out in the detention centers, and an unknown
number of Achenese escape. |
|
March 30, 1998 |
Fourteen Achenese asylum seekers drive a truck through a
gate of the UNHCR compound in Kuala Lumpur. UNHCR allows
them to remain at the compound while it determines their
status. |
|
April 10, 1998 |
Thirty-five Achenese break into U.S., Swiss, French, and
Brunei compounds in Kuala Lumpur. All but the U.S. embassy
hand them over to Malaysian authorities; eight remain at
the U.S. embassy, which asks UNHCR to determine their
status. |
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May 1998 |
Indonesian President Soeharto resigns from office
following large-scale riots in Jakarta and widespread
political and economic discontent. The new president, B.J.
Habibie, promises reform. |
|
June 10, 1998 |
UNHCR determines that the fourteen Achenese at its
compound and the eight at the U.S. embassy are refugees in
need of protection. The United States agrees to resettle
up to half of the Achenese referred by UNHCR in Malaysia,
but none from the U.S. embassy. Other Achenese in Malaysia
remain in detention or in hiding. |
|
July-Aug. 1998 |
Longstanding separatist movements in Irian Jaya and East
Timor gather steam. Indonesia incorporated Irian Jaya as a
province in 1969 and forcibly annexed East Timor in 1976
(a move not recognized by the United Nations). |
|
Early August 1998 |
Mass graves are discovered in Acheh, supporting the
contention of many Achenese that Indonesian soldiers
killed numerous Acheh Merdeka members and suspected
sympathizers. |
|
August 7, 1998 |
The Indonesia defense minister, General Wiranto,
apologizes to the people of Acheh for atrocities previously
committed by the military and announces a withdrawal of
combat troops from Acheh within a month. |
|
August 22, 1998 |
The first group of 250 combat troops is withdrawn from
Acheh. |
|
August 31, 1998 |
More than 650 troops leave Acheh, sparking anti-military
riots that expand into anti-Chinese violence. |
|
Early September 1998 |
Following additional riots in Acheh, the Indonesian
government sends 300 troops back to Acheh into Acheh. They
are withdrawn soon after, when peace is restored. |
|
Aug.-Oct. 1998 |
The Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission, the
Indonesian military, and private human rights
organizations release estimates of atrocities committed in
Acheh during the military operation period that began in
1991. |
|
Note: Figures of incidents after DOM to early
December 2000 as follows: at
least 920 were killed; at
least 37. 000 people were tortured;
1270 buildings burnt; at least 12000
persons become refugees. |
|
Oct.-Nov. 1998 |
Indonesia experiences continued civil unrest, which
president Habibie says could threaten national unity.
Although Malaysia is not known to have deported any
Achenese since March, it has not promised to refrain from
deporting them. Many Achenese asylum seekers in Malaysia
remain in detention or in hiding. |
|
January 3-9, 1999 |
Korem II Llokseumawe kill ten civilians and torture over
eight others. |
|
February 3, 1999 |
Military/Police kill over ten civilians at Arakundo river,
Ide Cut, North Acheh. |
|
May 3, 1999 |
Civilians conduct demonstration at KRAF Factory (Simpang
KKA), Lhokseumawe, North Acheh; the Indonesia kill over 58
of them and about 100 were tortured. |
|
July 23, 1999 |
The Indonesian military kill a guru Bantaqiah and his 78
followers and over ten of his students were tortured. |
|
Nov., 8 1999 |
Gathering for Acheh referendum conducted by SIRA. Over 1.5,
millions Achenese come to Banda Acheh to exercise political
views. No causalities were reported. |
|
Nov., 8-14 2000 |
Indonesia arm forces killed at least 65 people who were in
attempt to reach Banda Acheh to support referendum;
hundreds of civilians were also tortured. |
|
Dec. 6, 2000 |
Three Humanitarian Aid Workers were killed in North Acheh
by Ampon Thayeb and his followers who have worked with
military in Lhokseumawe area for over a decade. |
|
August 8, 2001 |
TNI
butchered 41 Achenese villagers in East
Acheh. On
Wednesday, August 8, 2001, AGAM soldiers launched a
pre-dawn blietzkrieg on one of TNI concentrations in
the State Farm Afdeling IV Julok, East Acheh. In this
assault, estimated 25-40 TNI were killed or wounded.
AGAM withdrew from the scene shortly after that
(approx. at 0600 hours). On Thursday, August 9,
2001, TNI reinforcement arrived. With the help of
local Javanese militiamen, TNI rounded up 42
Achenese villagers from the villages adjacent to the
State Farm Afdeling IV Julok. After a brief
interrogation, they were fired upon with automatic
rifles and sub-machine guns. 31 villagers died on
the spot, 10 were critically injured, while a
villager escaped safely. |
|
November 2002 |
Security forces encircle the
Paya Cot Trieng village, north Aceh, with 500 to 1,000
troops in an attempt to quell GAM. The mission fails. |
|
Dec 26, 2004 |
A quake measuring 9.0 struck
the coast of Acheh and triggered a tsunami. Confirmed
tsunami death toll for Acheh February 03/2005 passed
287,534 (missing:
132,197);
homeless:
617,159. In Medan,
240 deaths.
Global death toll
passed 356,000. [Interactive via NY Times and Media (may
requires reg):
Acheh Unfolded |
Before and After |
Aerial views - details |
From the Epicenter
|
Acheh's Destruction
|
Global
|
Images-Video] |
|
Jan 9, 2005 |
PNA/ASNLF
replies with a
sharply worded statement:
Deplores the arrival in Acheh of members of the thuggish
so-called Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the
terroristic Indonesia Mujahidin Council (MMI). They
are not
welcome in Acheh and have never been supported by the
Achenese people, nor has their presence been requested.
NGOs
also claim that both,
FPI which has gained notoriety through raiding bars and
nightclubs in Jakarta as well as through extortion (FPI
has at times been in cahoots with police and soldiers, and
sometimes in competition with them), and MMI, suspected of being linked to Al-Qaida and of being
responsible for the bomb attacks in Bali and Jakarta, sent
forces to Acheh, possibly to some extent even by way of
military aircraft. |
|
Jan 14-15, 2005 |
Troops kill one 6 year old
child, 7 civilians and 5 GAM members. The incident takes
place just few days after
the deadly waves. (in-depth: About the killings) |
|
March 28, 2005 |
Over 700 people died. An earthquake of magnitude 8.7
struck off the coast (Nias
island) of
northern Acheh, not far from the epicentre of the
magnitude 9.0 quake three months earlier. (in-depth: Largest
earthquakes since 1900) |
|
August 15, 2005 |
Peace agreement signed between
the Indonesian government and the Free Acheh Movement (GAM).
Read the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):
English;
Bahasa Indonesia |
