Acheh Case: A Historical Study of the National Movement for the Independence of Acheh‐Sumatra

Acheh is one of the oldest independent nations in Southeast Asian history and according to modern 

Indonesian history: “Acheh was emerging as a major power, the most powerful, wealthy and cultivated 

state of the area.” Three centuries after the Dutch occupied Java, Acheh was still an internationally 

recognized independent sovereign state with diplomatic and treaty relations with the rest of the world, 

including Holland and Great Britain. However, on March 26, 1873 the Dutch issued a formal declaration 

of war against the independent state of Acheh Dar al‐Salam, thus acknowledging Acheh’s status an 

independent sovereign state. The world reacted with universal declarations of neutrality, including from 

the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, Austro‐Hungary and many others. The American president 

at the time, General Ulyssess S. Grant, rejected Holland’s request for the US to take Holland’s side in the 

conflict. Instead, Washington issued an official ‘Proclamation of Impartial Neutrality’. All these 

constituted sufficient proof of Acheh’s status as a bonafide independent sovereign state that is 

universally recognized among nations.