A. Rahman, S. Saifuddin, R. Rosemary, N. Susanti, S. Safrina, S. Ridha
This paper examines how the prolonged armed conflict in Aceh (1976–2005) and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami intersected to shape lived experiences, recovery trajectories, and collective memory in postcrisis Aceh, Indonesia. Drawing on insights from Critical Disaster Studies and longitudinal ethnographic research—including in-depth interviews, oral histories, and participant observation with 25 participants across nine districts—the study argues that the tsunami cannot be understood as a singular natural event detached from Aceh’s longer history of violence and displacement. Instead, conflict and disaster formed layered crises that produced cumulative trauma and uneven pathways of recovery. The findings show that tsunami experiences often reactivated earlier conflict-related suffering, while recovery unfolded within existing social fragmentation and political silence. Women emerged as key actors in caregiving, emotional survival, and the transmission of memory across generations. The study demonstrates that resilience in Aceh is negotiated through everyday memory practices, cultural knowledge, and social relationships. © 2026 Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore.
Department of Communication Studies, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia; Research Center for Social and Cultural Studies (PRISB), Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia; Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC), Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia; Graduate Program in Peace and Conflict Resolution (Master’s Program), Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia; Graduate Program in Disaster Science (Master’s and Doctoral Programs), Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
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