[Song over titles] (The Aceh Story The Hope of Love and Forgiveness)
[Children clapping and singing]
[Narrator] Who could have imagined it?
Life in the land called Aceh was steeped in hatred and intrustable violence,
full of sorrow.
Then, in a flash, it was over.
Life in Aceh has become normal, peaceful and harmonious.
[gun and machine gun shots]
Before, the people were engaged in murderous pursuits and bloodshed.
[Woman sings]
But nowadays, side by side, protecting each other, striving for mutual trust.
[Instrumental music] (Negeri Pejuang Patriot State)
Yet this region at the far end of Western Indonesia is a place with complicated history,
a place of turbulence, where times of pride and dignity
are tainted with sorrow and tears.
(Daerah Operasy Militer Military Operations Area)
The history of Aceh after independance is clouded in gloom.
Political resolve and collective dignity mounted
along with the sense of injustice that resulted from numerous Indonesian's government policy,
driving the people of Aceh to Aceh Freedom Movement,
which resulted in a 30-year armed conflict.
In each battle, whatever the goal,
the people of Aceh have faced a great deal of destruction.
Destructions of the environment, of wealth, of homes, of loved ones
and even of their sanity and sense of self.
[teacher and students speak Acehnese (?)]
[M Isa - Principal] During the conflict, it was incredibly difficult for us here
to go about our daily activities as teachers,
because schools were set on fire.
Ours too was burnt and no one was held accountable.
[Marlina - Elementary School Teacher] When the kids would hear the sound of weapons, they'd run inside.
At school too, there'd be someone who'd come from GAM.
Sometimes they'd come just for their weapons, and we were already terrified.
[Armida Pasaribu - Teacher's Wife] There'd be lots of questions who came from this side, sometimes from that side.
Those questions were the hardest for me to answer: we were so scared.
[M Isa] Teaching was forbidden in Aceh.
We were forced to teach the kids in places like prayer rooms in mosques,
we hardly knew what to do.
[Ainal Mardish - GAM Separatist Female Comander] If you ask which side won at war, no one won at war.
But because of historical exploitation by Indonesia,
the Acehnese reacted to defend themselves and their land.
[Tengku Hamzah - Former GAM Separatist Comander] I remember when Professor Norden met with his students.
He asked: "How much is given to Aceh?" "Not sure", his students responded.
The fact is that Aceh gets only 0.36%, that means, not even half a percent for the Acehnese.
[Mayjen TNI Soenarko - Former Indonesian Military Comander] Why did the Acehnese form a group called the Free Aceh Movement?
My conclusion at that time was that it resulted
from the Acehnese people's dissatisfaction over the policies from the government in Jakarta.
[M Jusuf Kalla - Vice President of Indonesia (2004-2009)] Economic inequality.
Aceh is rich in natural resources, but Aceh itself doesn't receive a very large portion of that for its own development,
meaning that a lot of their wealth is taken away.
Additionally, attention from the central government is sorely lacking.
That is what aroused anger in Aceh.
And finally, there was a political movement to free Aceh from Indonesia.
(Tsunami Aceh Tsunami Aceh)
[Narrator] It is still very clear in my memory, what happened that day,
on Monday, at 8 o'clock in the morning, the 26 of December 2004.
....my country under ........ (?) [People screaming]
followed by a tsunami that poured through Aceh, killing at least 200'000 people.
[Screams, rushing water]
(Najwa Shihab - Banda Aceh, NAD. Subtitles: With limited tools and manpower, we are still trying to search for survivors)
(We played the footage over and over to find them)
(Because we have a moral obligation)
(They say: "I saw my child's picture on Metro TV, please tell me where he is".)
[Narrator] I had never seen before such destructions.
also such heart-rending sorrow.
[Woman cries]
as at the moment I saw those countless bodies strewn across the land,
scattered among the debris of villages, utterly leveled to the ground.
I could not hold back my tears when I saw the thousands who were still clinging to life,
enduring extraordinary suffering, their injured bodies dangled in the wreckage.
[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - President of Indoesia (2004 - present)] At that time, I was in shock by what I saw in Aceh.
That morning, a Sunday, after the jarring of the earthquake,
people were screaming: "The sea is rising, the sea is rising!"
[Armida Pasaribu] We were surprised that the sea water could go up unto the land.
100 meters, I was with the kids
And at 100 meters, we were hit by the water.
[M Isa] Oh my God, the water rose as high as the coconut trees.
We ran. There was no time to save anything.
[Armida Pasaribu - Teacher's Wife] In the water, I was still holding my 6-month old child.
Was he still alive or not? His eyes were shut.
I thought he'd soon be taken by the water.
I thought it was the end of the world.
[M Jusuf Kalla] I cried at what I saw.
How could you not cry seeing hundreds of people before you, laid out in a row, and unknown.
The orphans cried. I saw the light in their eyes was gone.
[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - President of Indonesia (2004 - present)] ... as if there was no future.
[Zakaria Saman - Former Highranking GAM Separatist Official] We surrendered ourselves to Allah.
[Narrator] After all of that turbulence, in an instant,
the tsunami broke Aceh to its knees
The catastrophe of such magnitude drew the attentions
of all the people of Indonesia and the world toward Aceh.
The citizens of Indonesia, of all ethnic groups from across the archipelago,
came forward to lend a hand, their hearts filled with compassion.
A remarkable solidarity took root among the people all over the world.
(Perundingan Pasca Ts Tsunami Disaster Diplomacy)
[M Jusuf Kalla - Vice President of Indonesia (2004-2009)] It would not be possible to rehabilitate Aceh without peace.
Thousands of people were coming from within Indonesia and abroad,
and if even one person were shot or missing, surely aid would have ceased.
[Malik Mahmud - Former Highranking GAM Separatist Official] The tsunami hit Aceh
and international parties came to meet us in Stockholm.
They suggested that we quickly hold negotiations with the Republic of Indonesia,
in order to finish the conflict and facilitate the safe influx of international aid to help.
From there, we felt very touched.
This was the will of God, and we had to accept it.
That's how we held the talks.
[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - President of Indoesia (2004 - present)] I called the commanding leader of the Free Aceh Movement
and explained: "Let's sit together and find a peaceful solution."
He responded positively.
I thought, why not use another approach?
An approach of love, care of heart and of mind - and finally, forgiveness.
Why harbor vengeance?
[Hamid Awaludin - Former Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights] I say to the delegates: the government of Indonesia came to this table
We spoke. Bring only one message, a clear message is a pardon, amnesty.
If we can talk, the government offer Amnesty,
which is a good vehicle for reconciliation.
[M Jusuf Kalla] This step had to be taken together.
Tsunami victims and reconciliation both needed solutions.
[Hamid Awaludin] President Ahtisaari of Finland, the one who mediated us,
say: "Mr Awaludin, can you elaborate what do you mean by amnesty?"
and I say: "Amnesty means a pardon:
from legal point of view, we have a mechanism, a constitutional mechanism
to pardon people, gentlemen delegates of the Aceh Movement.
The first thing the government will provide after signing the peace agreement is amnesty,
which means all of the criminal charges will be dropped,
all of the prisoners and detainees, Acehnese prisoners, will be released.
And those Acehnese people who are outside the country
can come back as Indonesian people with dignity
and remember, the main principle of the peace talk is dignity for all."
And after elaborating the idea of amnesty, I saw Mr Malik Mahmud's face
all of a sudden look so happy - look so happy.
[Zakaria Saman - Former Highranking GAM Separatist Official] On that day, it was decided in Helsinki,
because we had direct communication with the people,
we thanked God and prayed in tears.
(Masa Damai Peacetime)
[Narrator] After the tsunami that brought with it such destruction,
life was never the same in Aceh.
Anger, revenge and rage were all swept away instant[ly] that day.
A blessing was born out of a disaster.
Mutual love between fellow citizens spurred unexpectedly a kind of healing through togetherness.
........... mistrust (?)
now gradually began to subside,
making way for mutual forgiveness.
The two warring sides, in conflict for all this time, came to an understanding
that the real and indeed the most difficult work was a work that could not involve weapons.
Something threw miracles (?) from every act of destruction
....... it's more often felt than spoken.
Now the dark clouds that were once over Aceh
have been replaced by a more peaceful light.
History will report how people came together in the spirit of love and forgiveness,
despite differences and legacy of conflict.
Together, they created a new spirit, based on an appreciation of diversity,
a beautiful harmony.
[Zaini Abdullah Current Governor of Aceh, Former Highranking GAM Separatist Official] We will continue building this peace.
We will continue building trust so that we can stay on the same page.
[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - President of Indonesia (2004 - present)] I have faith that with two genders in developing post-tsunami Aceh,
strengthening the economy in the post-conflict reintegration,
that trust and togetherness will return and Aceh will change.
[Alwi Shihab, Former Coordinating Minister for People Welfare] All of a sudden, this hostility ended
and started to be a moment of truce for the people of Aceh, reconciliation was in place,
peaceful relation between the two conflicting parties was in place,
thanks to the feeling of love and forgiveness by both parties.
[Narrator] Today, the ....tical (?) conflict
between GAM and the Indonesian Government is mostly just a memory.
But the violence of the past still threatens to erupt in a new struggle for power,
as the habits of peace are only built over time with great patience.
The spirit of love and forgiveness must be constantly nurtured to maintain peace.
[Zakaria Saman - Former Highranking GAM Separatist Official] It's like driving a car:
we can't always be looking back in the rearview mirror.
We have to look forward and only occasionally back, in order to not repeat past mistakes.
[Mahdalena - Acehnese Artist] Start work and build a happy society.
[Saifu Bahri - Former Gam Separatist Soldier] Compared to before, things are 1000% better now.
We are enthusiastic to work, we're cutting grass or going out to the rice pads.
[Malik Mahmud - Former Highranking GAM Separatist Official] Everything will be settled in love and forgiveness.
[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - President of Indonesia (2004 - present)] No future without forgiveness.
And we don't want our present to be haunted by our past.
(Najwa Shihab was the first TV journalist reporting live from Aceh one day after the Tsunami hit.)
(Her coverage received recognition as "one of the contributing factors that helped the drive for national and international support for Aceh.")
(Najwa is a renowned Indonesian journalist.)
(In addition to anchoring the news, she also manages, produces and hosts her own program , "Mata Najwa.")
(Over the years, she has been nominated for and received numerous awards, including Best Television Reporter (Indonesian Journalist Association Jakarta).
(Producer & Director: Imam B. Prasodje Production Advisers: Alwi Shihab, Ed Quike)
(Narrators: Najwa Shihab, Angie Kilbane, Kenneth S Moore)
(Production Crew: Dwi Ari Yadi, Wahyu, Ikung, Topan Agasta, Mukri Uki, Ade Damez, Denny Prawibowo, Sugeng Rival, Naso, Julian, Andy, Agus Sopian)
(Thank you to: MetroTV, The Presidential Press Office and Media, for allowing us to use their footage of post-tsunami coverage)
(Supported by Fetzer Institute)
(production 2012)