- published: 22 Apr 2015
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Coordinates: 5°32′51.8″N 95°18′54.3″E / 5.547722°N 95.315083°E / 5.547722; 95.315083
The Aceh Tsunami Museum, located in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, is a museum designed as a symbolic reminder of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami disaster, as well as an educational center and an emergency disaster shelter in case the area is ever hit by a tsunami again.
The Aceh Tsunami Museum was designed by Indonesian architect Ridwan Kamil. The museum is a 2,500 m2 four-story structure; its long curving walls covered in geometric reliefs. Inside, visitors enter through a dark, narrow corridor between two high walls of water — meant to recreate the noise and panic of the tsunami itself. The museum walls are adorned with images of people performing the Saman dance, a symbolic gesture dedicated to the strength, discipline and religious beliefs of the Acehnese people. From above, the roof resembles a tidal wave. The ground floor is modelled on the kind of traditional raised Acehnese houses that were best equipped to survive the tsunami.
The Free Aceh Movement (Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or simply GAM), also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives. The organisation surrendered its separatist intentions and dissolved its armed wing following 2005 peace agreement with the Indonesian Government. The Indonesian government called the group the Aceh Security Disturbance Movement.
The conflict in Aceh stems from several major areas, historical mistreatment, control over Islamic law, the fair distribution of Aceh's natural resource wealth and the increase of the Javanese population within Aceh.
During the era of Dutch colonisation in the 1800s, Aceh was the centre of resistance against Dutch colonial rule. The Acehnese resisted Dutch forces and they were one of the last Indonesian people to succumb to colonial rule and only after a brutal 30 year campaign, the Aceh War of 1873-1903. When the Netherlands transferred sovereignty of their colonial territory, administration of Aceh was handed over to Indonesia and GAM claims that this was done without consultation with Acehnese authorities.Daud Bereueh mounted an armed rebellion that ended with Aceh being granted special status by President Sukarno. This special status gave Aceh control on religion, custom law and education.
Aceh (/ˈɑːtʃeɪ/; [ʔaˈtɕɛh]) is a special region (Indonesian: daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its first full name, Aceh Darussalam (1511–1959) then, Daerah Istimewa Aceh (1959–2001), Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam (2001–2009) and Aceh (2009–Present). Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin. The Aceh province has the highest proportion of Muslims in the country with regional levels of Sharia law.
It is thought to have been in Aceh where Islam was first established in Southeast Asia. In the early seventeenth century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Aceh 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—some estimates put Aceh gas reserves as being the largest in the world. Relative to most of Indonesia, it is a religiously conservative area.