Peace reigns in Dutch cemetery amid Aceh's strife<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Gen. J.H.R. Kohler, who led the stepped up Dutch advance to take
\nAceh in the late 19th century, probably never imagined that one
\nday that he would finally -- posthumously -- find his own
\npeaceful corner in the troublesome area.<\/p>\n
He lost his life at the hands of incensed Acehnese in 1873
\nafter setting ablaze the Grand Mosque of Baiturrahman in Banda
\nAceh, and his body was buried in Batavia, present-day Jakarta.<\/p>\n
A century later, his remains were exhumed and moved to Aceh to
\nbe reburied on the piece of land now known as Peucut Kerkhof
\n(graveyard in Dutch) -- his final resting place in the land where
\nhe was slain.<\/p>\n
A monument to Kohler stands in the cemetery, with the symbol
\nof a snake biting its own tail engraved under his name. It is a
\nconstant reminder of Kohler's fatefully misguided strategy of
\nburning the mosque -- almost ensuring his death among the proudly
\nMuslim Acehnese.<\/p>\n
Measuring about four hectares, Peucut Kerkhof is located in
\nthe center of Banda Aceh and is located on part of the former
\ngrounds of the palace of the Sultanate of Iskandar Muda.<\/p>\n
Officially made a Dutch cemetery in 1893, Peucut Kerkhof has a
\ngrand entrance gate with a marble wall inscribed with the names
\nand places of death of the Dutch soldiers killed in the long,
\nbloody campaign to overcome the Acehnese. Against fierce
\nresistance, the Dutch only gained flimsy control of the
\nnorthernmost tip of Sumatra in 1903.<\/p>\n
Today, the cemetery is home to about 2,200 graves of Dutch
\ncolonial soldiers and marsose, the Ambonese, Manadonese and Batak
\nIndonesians hired as soldiers by the Dutch colonial
\nadministration. Besides Kohler, Peucut Kerkhof is also home to
\nthe graves of three other Dutch generals, including Gen. Peer and
\nGen. Weijerman.<\/p>\n
In the past, locals were opposed to the presence of Peucut
\nKerkhof. Besides their bitterness toward the former colonial
\nadministrator, they also felt that the land's strategic location
\nwould better serve as a business area.<\/p>\n
Some continue to hold the sentiment.<\/p>\n
\"How can a cemetery be located in the center of a town?
\nBesides, this cemetery is intended for colonial soldiers. It
\nwould be better turned into a shopping center,\" said Muslim, an
\nAcehnese residing near Peucut Kerkhof.<\/p>\n
Others have come to accept its presence, and consider it a
\nsign of Acehnese bravery in standing up to the Dutch.<\/p>\n
For many years after the country's independence in 1945, the
\ncemetery was neglected and used as a dump. Many old gravestones
\nwere vandalized and their tiles stolen.<\/p>\n
In 1975, a Dutch foundation called Sixteen Pocut Fund began to
\nfinance the maintenance of this cemetery. The foundation's
\nmembers are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the
\nDutch soldiers buried in Peucut Kerkhof.<\/p>\n
Since then, the cemetery has been well maintained, with a
\nfence surrounding it for protection against vandals.<\/p>\n
Rusli, 50, one of the graveyard keepers, said he recounted
\nseeing many Dutch people visiting the site during his 10 years of
\nemployment.<\/p>\n
\"Members of the executive board of this foundation also come
\nhere every year,\" the father of two told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the Dutch foundation teamed up with the Nanggroe Aceh
\nDarussalam administration for its maintenance.<\/p>\n
\"Every quarter they send Rp 15 million for the maintenance
\ncost,\" said Rusli.<\/p>\n
Every month, Rusli said he received Rp 3 million for the
\ncemetery maintenance and his salary. \"It is the Nanggroe Aceh
\nDarussalam administration that manages the financial matters of
\nthe foundation,\" he said tersely when asked about how the
\nremaining money paid each quarter was used.<\/p>\n
He complained that the money was far from enough to ensure
\ngood maintenance.<\/p>\n
A Dutch citizen who recently came to see the grave of his
\ngrandfather and exploded in anger when he could not find it. Many
\nof the inscriptions on the gravestones have been defaced<\/p>\n
\"This man was disappointed because he said he paid a
\ncontribution fee every month,\" Rusli said.<\/p>\n
While most consider the cemetery evidence of the Dutch
\ncolonial administration reaching even to resistant Aceh, it is
\nalso testament to the long history of sharia in the area. In a
\ncorner of the cemetery is the grave of Pocut Meurah Pupok, the
\ncrown prince of the great leader Sultan Iskandar Muda, who met a
\ngristly fate after committing adultery.<\/p>\n
He was beheaded by his own father; proof of the sultan's anger
\nis that he ordered the body to be buried outside the royal burial
\ngrounds, hence the name \"Peucot\", a corruption of Meurah Pupok's
\nname.<\/p>\n
Today, the prince, along with the assembly of Dutch and other
\nsoldiers, have found peace in Aceh. It's unfortunate that the
\nsame peace has yet to come to the area more than 100 years after
\nthe terrible Aceh wars that took their lives.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/peace-reigns-in-dutch-cemetery-amid-acehs-strife-1447893297",
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