Human rights crime of Suharto was started from the most east region of Indonesia; Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD). The crime to Aceh’s Muslim People was originated by VOC of Nederland, extended by Soekarno’s Old Order, and cruelly mastered in Suharto’s era. In the period of Suharto, NAD whose role in grasping and defending the RI Independence—mostly financially so that NAD is called “RI Money Vault”—was even turned to be the shotgun field namely Daerah Operasi Militer (DOM), 1989-1998.
NAD is a rich district of resource, especially oil and gas. Until the end of 1980’s, Aceh had contributed more than 30% Indonesia’s oil-gas export. In 1971, a huge LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) was found in the North of Aceh. Mobil Oil, US mining company, was given the rights to exploit it and in the next six years ahead, LNG distillery complex founded in area named Lhokseumauwe Industry Zone (LIZ).
Before this case, in East Aceh, for 30 years since 1961, Asamera, a Canadian oil company, had dug more than 450 oil wells. The natural gas founded in these wells was richer than the ones in the North Aceh. ASEAN manure company production in Aceh was nearly 90% exported, and from the procurement complex was gained US$200 million a year for selling aromatic chemistry. Paper company Kraft Aceh also produced cement cover since 1989, and from the thrifty use of this paper, the government got profit US$89 million a year, while the cement paper export gained US$43 million. In 1983, Aceh contributed 11% of Indonesian whole exports.
Suharto knew well that Aceh’s resource was greatly abundant. No wonder then, he greedily took all from Aceh. Ironically, almost all the profits exploited from Aceh, were taken to Jakarta, the capital city f Indonesia. Aceh’s people got nothing in return, and they remained poor and pathetic. Instead, the Jakarta government, sent thousands of soldiers to control Aceh harmless people.
In the periode of 1990’s, off 27 provinces in in Indonesia, Aceh was the 7th poorest province in this country. More than 40% of 5.643 villages in Aceh befell to poverty under-standard line. It was only 10% of Aceh’s villages could attained electricity. In ZIL area, it was 20% citizens who gained clean water. Others got water from mostly-polluted-dug wells.
US Researcher, Tim Kell, in his report wrote, “Friction and values crash happened between native Aceh and the urban people. The immigrants consumed beers, held dance party, and made the price in the market highly-increase. They lived luxuriously in the middle of Aceh’s poverty. Industrial waste polluted the land and citizens’ wells. Sea was contaminated and destructed fisherman area. Jobless people were increase, and industry failed in restructuring the Aceh’s people economy fundamentally as it had never been the part of Aceh real economic life. This was one of the Suharto’s efforts in developing Aceh.
Tim Kell objectively continued, “In the year of 1940’s, all PUSA Islamic Scholars were disappointed as there were never Islamic rules applied in Indonesia. In 1950’s, Aceh’s status as a province was dismissed and merged to North Sumatera Province. Administrative government, defense and economy were taken controll by PUSA. The disappointment and the fear of losing its identity made Aceh to a rebel deed in 1953 led by Daud Beureuh.”
Under Suharto regime, everybody and every region were similarly regarded—including Aceh. Suharto was a “Majapahit-centralist” the no wonder he also considered Aceh as Majapahit, a Javanese kingdom in the past. The “special” status of Aceh was dismissed as all its authorities in the subjects of religion, education and cultural law were only above the paper. The governor was chosen under Surhato’s agreement, and the regent could only exist by Suharto’s permit. Aceh was even considered unworthy enough to be a host of Kodam—Military District Commando. The base was moved to Medan.
In 1990,Governor Ibrahim Hasan obliged all the elementary students to be able to read Al-Quran. This was condemned by some officials in Jakarta. Education and Culture Ministry sent a team to investigate this case. In the next few months, the education and culutre district allowed some girls students to wear veil to the schools. Jakarta was again furious and said that rule was rule. Wearing veil was banned in Suharto’s era in Aceh.
Ted Robert Gurr in Why Men Rebel wrote that men would react if their way of life threatened by a new progress. Aceh’s people had lost its natural resource, its work, and its way of life. They lost their husband, children, hopes, and lost everything. If there were people asked “why do Aceh people rebel against government?”, they might be dumb person. The Aceh’s people has been sacrificed by New Order regime, and the patience reached its limit! (continued)
