TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Legal Aid Institute (LBH) of Banda Aceh revealed that there has been a deployment of Indonesian National Army (TNI) soldiers since a day before the 21st commemoration of Aceh Peace Day on August 15, 2026. Aulianda Wafisa, the Director of LBH Banda Aceh, stated that the soldiers conducted raids and inspections on residents from several regencies towards Banda Aceh.
"This action has hindered residents who intended to gather to commemorate and reflect on the 21 years of peace in Aceh," said Aulianda in a written statement quoted on Sunday, August 16, 2026.
According to him, the date of August 15 is an important momentum for the people of Aceh. They celebrate and reflect on the 21-year journey of peace since the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum on August 15, 2005.
This momentum should have been a space for the people of Aceh to be grateful for the peace and to evaluate to what extent the goal of peace has been realized in the life of the Acehnese people. However, in the midst of this momentum, Aulianda said, the government is instead seen to continuously obstruct the rights of the Acehnese people to gather and express their opinions in public.
They only wanted to gather to commemorate the 21 years of peace in Aceh and express their gratitude. "Reflecting on the journey and the future of peace is part of civil freedom and democracy that should be guaranteed by the state," said Aulianda.
According to Aulianda, the use of armed forces to confront civilians wishing to express their aspirations shows an excessive fear from the government. The symbols used by the people, including flags and political demands related to the current situation in Aceh, should be addressed through democratic dialogue, not through the deployment of armed forces.
LBH Banda Aceh, Aulianda said, believes that the excessive use of armed forces in handling demonstrations and the political expressions of the people is proof that democracy in Indonesia is regressing. "The state should guarantee space for people to express criticism and aspirations peacefully, not narrow it through intimidation and raids," he said.
This situation also indicates the weakening ability of the government to absorb and respond to the aspirations of the people through dialogue. When the aspirations of the people are answered with a security approach, he said, the state not only fails to build public trust, but also has the potential to widen the gap between the government and the people of Aceh.
Therefore, LBH Banda Aceh urges the government to take four actions. First, to stop all forms of obstruction to the rights of the Acehnese people to gather and express their opinions peacefully. Second, to withdraw the security approach and the use of armed forces from the spaces of the civil society's political expressions.
Third, to open a meaningful dialogue with the people of Aceh regarding the implementation and future of the peace in Aceh. And fourth, to guarantee freedom of expression, assembly, and the right to express opinions as an integral part of Indonesian democracy.
The Head of the TNI Information Center, Major General Muhammad Nas, said that the TNI regrets and urges all parties to respect the state symbols. "We deeply regret this incident. The TNI urges everyone to respect the state symbols," Nas said, as quoted by Kompas.com on Sunday.
Nas asked all parties to maintain order and refrain from actions that could trigger conflicts and disrupt the peaceful atmosphere. "The TNI always coordinates with the security forces and local governments in order to maintain stability and the conducive nature of the region," he emphasised.
The commemoration moment of the 21st Aceh Peace Day at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque (MRB), Banda Aceh, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, around 11.00 AM WIB ended in turmoil. Clashes between the residents and security officers began when a resident climbed the flagpole in the courtyard of the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque.
The person then took down the red and white flag and replaced it with the crescent and star flag. The hoisting of the crescent and star flag was greeted with cheers from other masses, which further heated up the situation.
One of the event participants, M. Jamil, stated that the event was an invitation for joint prayers and remembrance for peace and a fairer and more prosperous Acehnese society. "The hoisting of the crescent and star flag is our form of gratitude," said Jamil as quoted by Antara, on Saturday.
Moments after someone climbed the flagpole, gunshots were heard, triggering a reaction from the masses. The masses immediately moved towards the gunfire and pelted a number of police officers on guard with stones. Several parked cars around the mosque area were also hit and damaged by the projectiles.
The police personnel urged the masses to stop the pummeling and disperse, but they were ignored. The police eventually resorted to firing water cannons and using tear gas to force the crowd to disperse.
Tempo tried to confirm the incident to the Head of the Public Relations Division of the Aceh Regional Police, Commissioner Joko Krisdiyanto. However, the message sent has not been responded to as of the publication of this news.
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