The Meergebied — the lake district of the Gayo highlands, corresponding to the later sub-division Takèngön — was, with the Dörötstreek, the fourth of the six hearths of the resistance of 1908–1912. It is also called Laoet in H. N. A. Swart’s correspondence.
A difficult mountain country
In this little-trodden mountain region, where the bands found good and safe hiding-places everywhere, some successes were obtained in 1908, but little improvement followed even in 1909. Heavy blows fell in the latter year, 132 resistance men being killed, “but among this democratically minded mountain people the chiefs had little authority, and that people supported the ill-disposed, partly also from fear of revenge.”
Consequently the troops took blows. On 24 December 1909 a group of infantry returning from Samarkilang was surprised in its marching bivouac at Tjampoeron; the European sergeant and brigade commander, six men and four convicts were killed, and seven fusiliers and four convicts wounded. “Around these captured carbines there formed the dangerous Telong band, which kept the Lake District in turmoil for nearly two years.”
In 1910 the situation remained little improved: many uitgewekenen wandered about, resistance was repeatedly offered, eighty-five resistance men lost their lives, ten were taken prisoner and only seventeen reported themselves.
Improvement under Hein Meijer
Improvement began only in 1911, “onder ‘Hein’ Meijer’s krachtige marechaussee-hand.” In January the influence of Tgk. di Barat still made itself felt; the bands showed heightened activity, the Telongbende fired on patrols, and there was another klewang attack at Linggö. But at last the Telongbende received the blow long intended for it: Jenae with a patrol of the 5th Division struck “a blow such as few have been struck” — the entire band of Tgk. Léjman, successor of Tgk. di Tjòt Tjitjém, was rendered harmless, thirty-six men falling and fourteen rifles being taken; the European sergeants Loeff and Roobaart earned the Militaire Willemsorde.
In February the hiding-place of Keutjhi’ Saman, the long-sought panglima of the ex-pretender sultan, was surprised; he fell with three adherents. Sixteen more were killed and a carbine taken in another action, among the dead being recognised a nephew of the Kedjoerön van Boekét. In May a klewang attack on a marching bivouac near Nalon cost one killed, three wounded and one carbine; more blows fell on the Telong band; more ladangs and hiding-places of Tgk. di Barat were cleared up in the Samarkilangsche; and in July came the report that in most valleys of this mountain country submission was under deliberation — that month costing the resistance nineteen killed, sixty-three submissions and three precious carbines.
In August Swart visited the Meergebied; some sixty uitgewekenen reported themselves and rifles were handed in, but it lasted until 16 October before the bulk of the Telong band gave up — twenty men with all their commanders — handing in the last three carbines lost at Tjampoeron. In November the situation became steadily more favourable. When in 1912 the band in the Dörötstreek also submitted, the condition of the Meergebied and the Dörötstreek could henceforth be judged from favourable to very favourable.
In April 1914 Takèngön reported the final elimination of Pang Intan with four followers at the Waih ni Wis.
Swart’s inspection
Swart’s inspection of the Meergebied under Hein Meijer produced one of the anecdotes du Croo collected: crossing the lake by motorboat from Takèngön to Bintang with the European fusilier Boonstra at the wheel, Swart timed the engine for a minute and announced “that engine is making seventy revolutions a minute.” — “Tachtig, generaal,” said the engineman promptly. — “Well I’ll be blowed! Would you contradict me? Did I not count them myself?” — “Quite so, General, but then your minutes are shorter than mine.” — “Hm,” said Swart.
See Also
- Gajòlanden
- Takèngön
- Dörötstreek
- Telongbende
- Tgk. di Barat
- Hein Meijer
- Samarkilang
- The resistance in Atjeh 1908–1912
- H. N. A. Swart
Source
Generaal Swart, Pacificator van Atjeh (“General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh”), by M. H. du Croo, Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with the collaboration of H. J. Schmidt, Titular Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with a foreword by His Excellency Lieutenant-General K.N.I.L. (retired) G. K. Dijkstra (Maastricht: N.V. Leiter-Nypels, 1943), Chapter XI, pp. 105, 110; Chapter XII, p. 118; Chapter XIV, p. 141; Chapter XV, p. 146.