National Integration of Indonesia: Aceh's Experience. A concerned view from the region

Abstract

This article focuses on the Acehnese struggle for self-determination, and the emergence of the Aceh/Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF). Led by Dr. Tengku Hasan M. di Tiro, this movement aims at realizing the historic and democratic quest of the Acehnese who have been colonized under Indonesian hegemony. The struggle of the Acehnese is in keeping with the right of self-determination as defined by international law. The decision on whether Aceh will remain part of the Republic of Indonesia in the form of a loose Indonesian confederation, or become an independent state either in the form of a Commonwealth Independent State of Indonesia or a Confederation of Aceh/Sumatra, should be placed in the hands of the Acehnese.