Preamble
On the morning of Sunday, December 26, 2004 from10:45 to 12:00am Melbourne time, a massive tsunami was triggered by an earthquake of 8.9 magnitude in the northeastern Indian Ocean. Within hours the tsunami had wiped out vast expanses of the coastal areas of Aceh, and parts of coastal North Sumatra, Thailand, and Malaysia, with Aceh being by far the most devastated area. Hundreds of thousands of people around the Indian Ocean region died or lost their homes and livelihood as a result of the disaster. In the province of Aceh alone there were more than 350,000 deaths. Over US$4.45 billion was spent on the physical reconstruction of the region, and countless years are yet to pass before the environment will be properly rehabilitated.
Aceh, which lies on major trade route between China, India and the Middle East, has welcomed merchants and other travelers from all over the globe for centuries. The first Muslim kingdom in Southeast Asia, located in what is now eastern Aceh, dates back to the fourteenth century. Aceh’s unique position on the crossroads between east and west has resulted in its fascinating mix of cultural traits hailing from mainland Southeast Asia, Persia, India and the Middle East. These traits are reflected in the beautiful dances, musical arts and textiles of Aceh and the equally fascinating arts of Aceh’s Gayo highlands and Malay areas. The “Piyasan Aceh” concert during the conference will feature Aceh’s distinctive vocal and instrumental music, songs about the teachings of Islam and of the ancestors, as well as body percussion genres that are stunning in their sound effects and synchronicity of movement. The exhibition will present samples of Aceh’s material arts.
The modern history of Aceh began with the Dutch-Aceh War (1873-1914) as the power of Aceh’s sultanate declined and the colonial power of the Netherlands East Indies grew. After the Japanese Occupation in 1942-1945, the people of Aceh made remarkable contributions to the establishment of the Indonesian state (1945-1949). From the 1970s until 2005, Aceh was embroiled in conflict between the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) and the Military Forces of the Republic of Indonesia (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI). The ramifications of this prolonged conflict killed thousands of people and deeply affected social and cultural life. Many victims of the 2004 tsunami were also victims of the war, including people who had migrated or were evacuated from highland areas to the coast.
In the aftermath of the tsunami, previous disagreements and conflicts between the warring sides receded as they helped to facilitate the Peace Accord that was ratified in 2005, leading to a period of reconstruction, rehabilitation, and renewed artistic and educational activity. Many Indonesian and foreign organizations and governments aided Aceh’s recovery, with neighbouring Australia contributing $1 billion in aid and services. More than 3 million inhabitants of the renamed Nanggroe Acèh Dar Al-Salam Province (“The Prosperous State of Aceh”) now reside in its 23 regencies which cover 1.17% of Indonesia’s total territory.
Following the decades of conflict and the devastation of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami, ICCE of Aceh 2016 aims to (i) highlight Aceh’s remarkable recovery and experience as an international laboratory for conflict resolution and disaster relief, (ii) draw attention to the constructive scientific, technological, artistic and cultural programs applied in Aceh, and to (iii) discuss the potential of the people of Aceh for economic and human resource development and skills acquisition.