Peucut Kerkhoff cemetery, a colonial legacy<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Gen. Kohler, who led the Dutch aggression in Aceh, may have never
\ndreamed that he would conquer the land of Aceh. Ironically, he is
\nnow buried in Aceh, the land he tried to subjugate.<\/p>\n
Kohler died at the hands of the Acehnese after having the
\nBaiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh set ablaze in 1873. He
\nwas buried in Batavia, the name of Jakarta during the Dutch
\ncolonial times.<\/p>\n
But it seems to have been his destiny to be buried in Aceh.
\nAbout 100 years after his death, his remains were exhumed and
\nreburied in Peucut Kerkhoff, a cemetery for the Dutch soldiers
\nkilled in action during the Aceh War.<\/p>\n
In memory of the general, a monument was put up in Peucut
\nKerkhoff. Underneath his name there is the symbol of a snake
\nbiting its own tail. This symbol shows that Kohler made a mistake
\nwhen he had the grand mosque burned, an act strategically
\ntantamount to suicide. Beside Kohler's grave, there are the
\ngraves of other Dutch generals, including Gen. Peer and Gen.
\nWeijerman.<\/p>\n
Peucut Kerkhoff, which measures about four hectares, is
\nlocated in downtown Banda Aceh. It used to be part of the grounds
\nof the palace of Sultan Iskandar Muda. The cemetery is home to
\nabout 2,200 graves of both Dutch soldiers and Indonesian soldiers
\n-- Ambonese, Manadonese or Batak -- who worked for the Dutch.<\/p>\n
In 1893 Peucut Kerkhoff was dedicated as a cemetery for the
\nDutch. The names of thousands of Dutch soldiers killed in action
\nduring Dutch operations to conquer Aceh are inscribed on the
\nmarble wall at the entrance gate to the cemetery.<\/p>\n
The Dutch at first had some difficulty dedicating Kerkhoff as
\na cemetery for Dutch soldiers. The Acehnese regarded the Dutch as
\ntheir colonizers. Besides, the plot of land was better suited for
\na shopping or business area.<\/p>\n
"At first we found it strange to have a cemetery for soldiers
\nof the Dutch colonial rule in the downtown part of a city," said
\nMuslim, who lives close to Peucut Kerkhoff.<\/p>\n
As time went by, the Acehnese accepted the presence of the
\ncemetery as a memento of the struggle that the Acehnese waged
\nagainst the Dutch.<\/p>\n
As a cemetery for foreigners, Peucut Kerkhoff used to be
\nrather eerie as it was not properly maintained. It was also used
\nas an unofficial garbage dump. Many of the gravestones were
\nbroken or covered in moss, and other marble gravestones had been
\nstolen.<\/p>\n
In 1975, a Dutch foundation called Sixteen Pocut Fund provided
\nfinancial assistance for the maintenance of the graveyard.
\nMembers of the foundation include grandchildren and great-
\ngrandchildren of the Dutch soldiers buried in Kerkhoff. With the
\nmoney from Sixteen Pocut Fund, Peucut Kerkhoff began to be looked
\nafter. Today, a fence has been built around the graveyard.<\/p>\n
Rusli, 50, has worked as a caretakers at Peucut Kerkhoff for
\n10 years. He said many Dutch people came to pay homage to the
\ngraves in this cemetery.<\/p>\n
"The board members of the Dutch foundation come here every
\nyear," he said.<\/p>\n
The Dutch foundation, said Rusli, cooperates with the Nanggroe
\nAceh Darussalam provincial administration in looking after the
\ngraveyard.<\/p>\n
"Every quarter they send some Rp 15 million for this purpose,"
\nhe said. "The money is managed by the provincial administration."<\/p>\n
Because the money is limited, the cemetery is not in the best
\nof repair.<\/p>\n
Once, he said, a visiting Dutch citizen became angry because
\nhe could find his ancestor's grave and many gravestones were
\nbroken.<\/p>\n
"He said he paid for the maintenance of the graves but was
\ndisappointed with what he saw. I told him this was the best I
\ncould do as the money I received from the provincial
\nadministration was not sufficient," he said.<\/p>\n
Rusli can tell you from memory the history of Kerkhoff. "Non-
\nMuslims were buried here until late 1965."<\/p>\n
He is also sure Peucut Kerkhoff came into existence to show
\nthat Banda Aceh was once in the hands of the Dutch. "Otherwise,
\nhow could a Dutch graveyard be established in the sultanate of
\nAceh?"<\/p>\n
He added that only a small number of the Dutch soldiers killed
\nin Aceh were buried in Peucut Kerkhoff. "There are many other
\nDutch cemeteries elsewhere in Aceh," he noted.<\/p>\n
Peucut Kerkhoff is indeed a unique legacy from the colonial
\nera. And in Aceh's history, Peucut Kerkhoff is memorable,
\nparticularly with respect to the application of Islamic law in
\nAceh in the 16th century. In the graveyard one can find the grave
\nof Pocut Meurah Pupok, the son of Sultan Iskandar Muda, who was
\nbeheaded by his father for adultery.<\/p>\n
Greatly enraged, the sultan had his son buried outside the
\npalace, evidence of the application of Islamic law in Aceh even
\nduring the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda. The Dutch colonial
\nrulers later named the graveyard after the beheaded crown prince.<\/p>\n
The Acehnese fought to the death in defense of their land,
\nknown as the Veranda of Mecca. Today Peucut Kerkhoff is witness
\nto the fierce struggle of the Acehnese against the Dutch
\ncolonialists.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/peucut-kerkhoff-cemetery-a-colonial-legacy-1447893297",
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