THE PEOPLE OF ACEH

THE PEOPLE OF ACEH

The special district of Aceh is located on the northern most top of Sumatera island, covers an area of 55.390 square kilo meters, include 3 mains islands on the north shore. Actually there are many small islands still not mentioned here. Aceh is one of the areas in Indonesia that already introduce writing. Their writing is called Arab-Malay and was used by older generations, while younger generations do not know this writing anymore since in school they study Latin alphabets.
The nature anger that devastated Aceh in 2004 has been living a great missery to the people of Aceh, which religious piety has been the most strongest in the world. We belive that the people of Aceh are really obeyed the religion from the deepest heart, not like other coutries that hold Muslim as only the outer mark to get the sympathy of the illitrate. The strong obedience of Aceh to Muslim do not bear terrorists like other countries or areas. Yet we as a human being do not understand why such a religious ethic must be punished by mother nature not limited to the Aceh provice only but Yogyakrta and South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Central Lombok where Muslim are planted soo deep. In Aceh, based on language that exists, can be grouped into 4 dialects from the same great parent of Autronesian. Those 4 dialects have been developed so far, so each other do not understand by their own language.

1. Gayo - Alas dialect; is spoken by Gayo land people in central Aceh,
2. Aneuk Jamee dialect; spoken by group in South and West Aceh,
3. Tamiang dialect; spoken by people scattered along the border of Aceh and North Sumatera at the east side,
4. Aceh dialect; spoken by 70% of the total Special District of Aceh, those are living in East, North, Pidie, and part of West Aceh.

The shape of their houses is called high house, as it is built on a wooden poles to avoid animal attack and flooding. Their basic subsistence are rice, but their irrigation system is still not yet developed and largely depend on season which is only once a year. They also grow catles such as cows and buffaloes. They know also trading intra provinces such as with North Sumatera with Medan as the center of the economic activities. Other farming products such as coffee and rubber are all exported to Medan. In the past Aceh is also famous for their spice, but with the monopoly of Dutch East Company, their prices were always valueless and the farming was neglected by the people.
See from their traditional organization Aceh showing a democratic organization which is manifested in an organization called Gampong. Beside the head of Gampong and his assistants there is a people representative elected from senior peoples who have vast experiences to sit in the element of Gampong organization and involve in the society's affairs. Aceh is the first Indonesian region to receive the influence of Islam and has been developing into loyal Moslem devotees, and take every efforts to establish Islam in all life's aspects. That is why Aceh is often called " the gate of Mecca ". But Acehnese is not a religious extremists, nor a terrorists, they are Malay people sharing common virtues and wickedness with all of Indonesian. Due to the bad management of Indonesian government in the past they are now requesting an independency