The man opened the door at the exact time after I knocked at for some times. He looked so neat with his black coat, white shirt and carmine tie. His hair that almost entirely turned white was combed to the side stroke. His moustache seems clean and shaven. Behind the lens is wrinkles below the eyelid.
He is still spry although he is beyond the the average age. It was 2 pm Swedish time when his hand grabbed the door hook in which there is name printed in block letters above it “Teungku Hasan M. Ditiro”. He opened the door while holding some papers on the other hand.
He is Hasan Tiro, The President of the Acheh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), the most wanted man after Aceh sank into the armed conflict. He stood gallantly at the door. Tiro greeted ACEHKINI who came to visit his home, Tuesday, 9 September ago.
"Please coming in", he said. His voice was slightly hoarse.
A month earlier, the door house had been closed tightly. Actually, he became the most sought after peace in Aceh. At least by some members of the Board of Representatives of Aceh (DPRA). The members of DPRA wished to ask his opinions about the Guardian State Law (Qanun Wali Nanggroe). Guardian State Law is the old law in Acehnese kingdom structure. Pasca the signing of peace agreement between Indonesian government and Free Acheh Movement, Hasan Tiro was positioned as the first Wali Nanggroe by the movement.
Various ways have been committed by those legislators begun from persuading the 'right hand' of Hasan Tiro and to coax Indonesian Ambassador to Sweden to manage the meeting. However all their work was for nought. They then had the apartment of Hasan Tiro pictured across from the road as a proof they were there.
Whereas, the journey to Sweden had spent Rupiah 1.4 billion of Acehnese wealth. The mission totally failed and now still be censured by many parties. Having failed to conjunct the team with “guardian of State”, ambassador Linggawati Hakim felt wise to give other reason. He informed is the team that Hasan Tiro was weak and ill.
But the man who stood in front of the door did not look sick as Linggawati reported . He was also not using walking stick. He even lead me and this magazine reporter to the living room. There were not wheel chair in that room. On the corner of the room, I saw a stationary bicycle for exercise.
On his working desk was a small GAM flag and a picture of Teungku Chik Di Tiro and Cut Nyak Dhien. Also on that desk he put papers, files, and documents in addition to the miniature globe.
His apartments is not so wide, it was only about 100 meters square. The floor was clean, even though he lived alone. No table without flower on it and no part of the wall without photos hang on it. Through the window, the blue Lake Malaren made it quite interesting to see.
After being seated on the yellow sofa, he started to make an introduction. In the outside, the lake wind hit the window.
"Do you live in Sweden ?", He asked in English.
"Right, but I do not live in Stockholm . I live approximately 250 kilometres west of this city", answered this reporter magazine.
"Look at that"
Hasan Tiro pointed fingers. The picture showed his activities while he was in the United States . Not far from his desk, there is a small table crowded by media clippings. At the top of the table, shown tens of army in three rows with weapons pointing to the sky. In the front was seated Hasan Tiro on a chair.
"That was when we were in Libya ", he said.
“Aceh State Army of Pasee Region” was seen on a badge in a blur.
Photo of his ex-wife Dora, an American woman was also there. Not far from it seen a small kid holding a toy.
"This is Karim, when he was a boy," said Hasan Tiro with a gaze of full longing.
Karim Tiro is now living in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and working as a history lecturer at Xavier University .
*****
ACEHKINI who tried to trace the existence of Karim, successfully contacted him via phone and e-mail. On the phone conversation, Karim said, "I have to contact my father before providing comments concerning him."
Meanwhile, in an e-mail reply, he highly appreciated the interest of ACEHKINI to write about his live.
"But, I can not respond to that request for media at this time," he wrote.
He has not explained the reason why he would not talk in details. If only he were willing to answer, of course public in Aceh would recognize the only son of Hasan Tiro from the marriage with Dora.
"I will return to Aceh." He said.
I didn’t know what swung in the minds of Hasan Tiro. That sentence was often said spontaneously. He seemed that he follows news about his native hometowns, Aceh all of the time. Some printed media publication of Aceh are in his room space. He apparently painstaking to frame the cover story from media that covered of his struggle. The latest collection of his is a cover tabloid entitled, "Who is the Guardian State ?”
Hasan Tiro liked to lift his finger up as a sign of 'don’t ask detail', when asked opinions concerning the development of Aceh. If he did not give 'finger code,' he immediately divert the discussion. While he intended to respond, he is only replying a short answer.
"How do you see the political future of Aceh?," asked ACEHKINI.
"We will see," he said with a smile.
"What is your opinion about the MoU Helsinki. Did you love peace? " "Yes, of course," he said.
After the answer, he subdued his face at the same time and said, "I will immediately return to Aceh"
He seemed that he will not probated the discussion, he actually chose to become a guide around his house to view photos. He pointed to an image when he was talking to Kurt Waldheim, An Austrian diplomat which was the Secretary General of the United Nations in 1972.
There were also photos of his activities in Denhaag published by media. That Dutch newspaper wrote about Hasan Tiro’s profile. Such clippings are also found in the mess room. On the wall near the table, the newspapers printed from 1990 to 2000 are displayed. That region is dominated by Swedish newspapers that have been seen worn, and became faded.
"You must see that!" he said.
Then, he led us the right room. This room functions to save documents. It looks like a small library. In this place, He 'show off' the pictures taken during the procession of Referendum in a village in Aceh. In the photo were the GAM flag raised. A number of Acehnese youth were raising banners free of Aceh.
The late GAM commander Teungku Abdullah Syafi'ie was leading the GAM birthday.Though every body knew that the high rank war commander has passed away, Hasan Tiro kept telling the story with wisdom.
There was also a photo of Acehnese artist, Cut Keke while holding weapon AK-47 with the late Abdullah Syafi'ie. This room is devoted to photos of Acehnese. While we were eager to see the images, Hasan Tiro suddenly disappeared.
He entered his bedroom. A moment later he returned with bag resembles to a laptop one. The contents are two books in Dutch and English language. From the Dutch-written book, he took off an photo when he was young, and Teungku Chik di Tiro.
"That's my grandfather," he said with a smiling face.
He also showed us a bulletin in English that has cover is green and written down Mathabah Alamiyah, Hasan Tiro is seen sitting in front of the audience resembles to a press conference. "That is when I was in Libya ," he said. Hasan Tiro indeed been appointed as the head of political Mathabah Alamiyah organizations, a Libyan revolutionary government for supporting the struggle of independence and anti-imperialist in the world. When he was appointed to that position, Hasan Tiro was sent to Chad , Portugal and Ethiopia to resolve the conflict.
Before he closed his bag, he gave us three pieces of paper. It was two copies of his speech on Stockholm dated on August 27, 2001. while another sheet is photocopy of a map of "The funeral of Sultan Iskandar Thani in Aceh, in 1641." He then realised that there must have been something that he missed to do, he stare at the clock on his right arm. It was 2:30 pm Swedish time. It signalled us that the visiting time was over.
Hasan Tiro led us to the elevator. That man is still spry, although he is 83 years old. Unlike when he opened the house door, this time he has no longer held letters. From the elevator, he kept smiling while waving us and said with hoarse voice "You may come again next time." [Asnawi Ali]
Acehkini Magazine, edition October 2008
