Aceh War - Aftermath

Aftermath

Following the Aceh War, local Uleebelang or aristocracy helped the Dutch maintain control over Aceh through indirect rule. During the early 20th century, both Standard Oil and Royal Dutch Shell developed oil refineries to extract the province's substantial oil reserves. Despite the end of open conflict, popular Acehnese resistance against Dutch rule continued until the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies in 1942. Throughout the early 20th century, Dutch citizens and personnel were targeted by sporadic suicidal attacks by Acehnese patriots influenced by the Hikayat Perang Sabil and other proscribed texts. This phenomenon was known as the Atjeh-moord or "Aceh murders" and forced the Dutch government to maintain substantial forces within the province.

Acehnese resentment was further stoked by a system of forced corvee labour where subjects were required to work on government roadwork projects for 24 days a year. By the mid 1920s, Aceh had reverted to a state of full-scale guerilla warfare. Following the Japanese invasion, the occupying Japanese forces were initially welcomed by Acehnese nationalist as liberators though differences led to protracted resistance by Islamic-inspired rebels, culminating in a rebellion at Bayu. During the Indonesian National Revolution following the Japanese surrender in August 1945, the aristocracy were targeted for retribution due to their collaboration with the Dutch and the region became a stronghold of Sukarno's Republicans. Due to the entrenched anti-colonial sentiment, the Dutch bypassed Aceh during their police actions from 1947 to 1948.

Following the Dutch transfer of sovereignty to Indonesia in August 1949, many Acehnese became dissatisfied with the policies of the Javanese-dominated central government in Jakarta and began agitating for autonomy. Grievances included Aceh's incorporation into the predominantly Christian Batak province of North Sumatra, its poor financial and political rewards within the unitary Indonesian Republic and the failure to implement sharia law. In 1953, these factors led to a short-lived rebellion by the Darul Islam movement under Daud Bereueh which was suppressed by the Indonesian armed forces though resistance continued inland until 1959 when the rebels succeeded in negotiating an autonomous status for Aceh. Despite this, many Acehnese and other Sumatrans resented key government and military positions being dominated by Javanese. The resulting rebellion led by Free Aceh Movement raged in the province until a peace treaty was signed between the Acehnese movement and Indonesian government following the Great Aceh Tsunami.