BIREUEN dubbed the city of struggle was once part of the history of the struggle for independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
Why not? Bireuen was once the nation's third capital city in 1948. It became a pride for the people of Aceh.
The area is located on the northern coast, exactly 164 km from the provincial capital of Aceh. In addition to its strategic location right in the middle of the cross-road lane that connects the eastern, central and western parts of Aceh, it turns out to leave much history for this country.
Bireuen was known during the Dutch aggression I and II (1947-1948) in an attempt to defend the Indonesian Republic from invaders.
On 18 June 1948 President Soekarno moved from the second capital of the Republic of Indonesia, Yogyakarta to Bireuen for one week and controlled Indonesia in an emergency.
The Dutch launched their aggression against Yogyakarta so that the second Indonesian capital soon fell and controlled them, thus making Sukarno's president forced to exile himself to Aceh, precisely in Bireuen district.
The arrival of Bung Karno
Soekarno came to Bireun, boarding the Dakota airplane to land on the Cot Gapu civil field in June 1948.
His arrival was greeted by the Aceh Military Governor Tgk.Daud Bereueh, Commander X, Colonel Hussein Joeses, Military Officer, as well as Ulema scholars and community leaders. For a week Sukarno's president was in Bireuen and all Republican activities were centered in Bireuen.
Soekarno stayed at the residence of Colonel Hussein Joesoef (now the Bireuen Regent's march). It is a pride to stare and hear directly Sukarno's fiery speech burning the spirit of society there.
Coupled with the presence of Radio Rimba Raya at the time of the struggle to maintain independence, this radio is able to preach to the world through its five language broadcasts that the information submitted by the Dutch about the conquest of Indonesia to their hands on military aggression is merely propaganda. The people are still fighting against the colonialism in Indonesia. This radio is also the first time to broadcast Indonesia's independence to the world. Now Radio Rimba Raya or embryo RRI radio is no longer active.
The role and struggle of the people of Aceh, especially Bireuen in maintaining the independence of the Republic of Indonesia should not be underestimated. In an emergency, Bireuen had been the third state capital after Yogyakarta. Unfortunately, this record is not written in the history of Indonesian independence.