We know and remember from the beginning Aceh was one of the most feared areas of colonialism. The Dutch could not conquer Aceh by war, and Aceh was conquered by treason.
Cut Nyak Dien, Teuku Umar and Cut Meutia are some prominent figures of the Acehnese struggle who are well known for their persistence in fighting against invaders.
And there is a story that became one of the important reasons why Aceh won the title of Special Region other than Yogyakarta.
The services of the people of Aceh to this country are enormous. When the central government in Yogya was captured by the Dutch in a war for independence, a PDRI (Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia) was established in Bukittingi, West Sumatra. Unknown to many audiences, all PDRI operational expenditures and funds are financed by the people of Aceh.
From the Naval Staff operational funds, and the Air Force Staff, the diplomatic mission. Soedarsono to India and L. N. Palar at UN headquarters in New York, USA, operational fund of RI representatives in Penang and Singapore, expenses of RI ambassador Haji Agus Salim and the cost of Asian conference in New Delhi, India, all of which are also borne by the people of Aceh.
All of that done by the people of Aceh with sincerity.
Not enough with all the sacrifices of it all, the people of Aceh also willingly buy two aircraft to be granted to the central government. The purchase of this aircraft uses the dollar currency obtained from the donation of the people of Aceh.
The Acehnese women took off their rings, necklaces, earrings, and all the silver gold jewelry that they collected in exchange for money. That money is used to buy a plane called Seulawah which means "Golden Mountain
The background of the purchase of these two aircraft is really moving: In June 1948, Sukarno visited Aceh. At a meeting at Hotel Aceh on June 16, 1948, Bung Karno said, "It would be nice if Indonesia had an air vessel to strengthen the country's defense and strengthen the relationship between the island and the island." In just hours after Bung Karno declared it, Aceh joined in the Saudagar Indonesia Association of Aceh (Gasida) held a special meeting. They agreed the people of Aceh would unite to collect money and all the silver gold jewelry to buy the plane.
Within two days collected funds around 130,000 Straits Dollar (Singapore Dollar). Gasida Chairman Muhammad Juned Yusuf, along with several members of the Dakota Dana Committee on August 1, 1948, left for Singapore with the funds and two kilograms of gold.
All was submitted to the Chairman of the Commission of Aircraft Officer Purchase II Wiweko. After taking about three months, a Dakota plane arrived to the homeland in October 1948. The aircraft was given the registration number RI-001 as a special VIP aircraft number. This is then named Seulawah alias Gold Mountain. The other plane is not known what and how it exists until now.
In November 1948, Bung Hatta traveled around Sumatra after going through Magelang, Yogyakarta, Jambi, Payakumbuh, and Banda Aceh, then returned to Yogya. After flying for 50 hours, on December 6, 1948 Seulawah was flown to Calcutta, India, to undergo examination and treatment.
On January 20, 1949, Seulawah was treated. However, because the situation in the country is not possible, then by permission of the Burmese government, Seulawah is allowed to land in Rangoon and in this country Seulawah serves civilian aircraft for approximately one and a half years to raise funds for the Republic of Indonesia struggle. On August 2, 1950, Seulawah arrived back home through the Rangoon route, Bangkok, Medan, and landed in Bandung a day later. Seulawah is the embryo of Indonesia's first commercial airline which later transformed into Garuda Indonesian Airways.
When Yogyakarta is returned to the republic, the Indonesian government has absolutely no money to mobilize the wheels of its government. From Aceh, again, the people raise funds that are immediately flown to Yogyakarta. Donations in the form of money, stationery, office equipment such as typewriters and the like, and medicine, flowed from Aceh to Yogya.
Even the people of Aceh at that time donated 5 kilograms of gold bars to the central government. The latter was yawned somewhere. The Acehnese are also very concerned about the health condition of the Great Commander General Sudirman, who is known as a religious and devout panglima, from which Aceh sent 40 bottles of injectable drug streptomycin to treat his lung disease.
This is a form of nationalism of the people of Aceh is very high in maintaining the existence of the Republic of Indonesia which was then very young and very weak. No exaggeration, without the solidarity of Muslim Aceh, the government of the Republic of Indonesia will be very difficult to defend itself, may not even disappear swallowed by the Dutch malignancy.
Bung Karno was then called Aceh as a capital area for the struggle of the Republic of Indonesia. Even during his first visit to Aceh in 1948, to the Acehnese figure Teungku Muhammad Daud Beureueh, Bung Karno promised to support the implementation of Islamic Shariah throughout Aceh. Something soon betrayed Bung Karno himself.
The sacrifice of the entire people of Aceh to the Republic of Indonesia is vital and vital. Aceh truly became a capital area, becoming a storehouse of money for the central government in running its government and defending itself from the onslaught of the Dutch.
Acehnese nationalism is very high. The services of the people of Aceh to the Republic of Indonesia are priceless. But how does the reply from the central government to the people of Aceh when the Republic of Indonesia was established under the government of President Sukarno?
