Refusing to Forget // Seeing the Arakundo Bridge, a Silent Witness to Aceh's Dark History.


The Arakundo tragedy, a tragic event. Many blood-soaked bodies were found under the Arakundo bridge.

IMG-20251104-WA0302.jpg

Hello, my friends, I'm back in this beloved community to share some images. In this blog, I'll tell you all about a very dark tragedy that occurred in my area, specifically on the Arakundo Bridge. The local community knows this event as the Arakundo Tragedy.

First, I'd like to inform everyone that this blog has no intention of containing hate speech, as such is strictly prohibited within this extraordinary community. Instead, I'm creating this blog with the goal of telling the world that a very cruel incident occurred on this bridge, and the people of Aceh must know about it for their children and grandchildren.

Okay, friends, please continue following my blog to see some images and a short article about the event.

IMG-20251104-WA0300.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0299.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0298.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0289.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0288.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0284.jpg

Good evening, my friends.

The Arakundo Bridge is one of the bridges in Idi Cut, East Aceh.

One of the darkest events occurred here during the 1998-1999 civil war. The motive was allegedly revenge by one party (whose name was not mentioned) on the other, resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians.

Even more painful was the massacre of civilians, which was carried out by authorities by tying stones to the bodies of the victims and then throwing them into the river, preventing them from floating.
My friends...
The search for victims was carried out using traditional tools, as authorities and other parties did not assist in the search. Most of the victims did not float, as I mentioned above, because their bodies were tied with weights made of stones. Bullets and projectiles branded as Pindad, a Bandung-based firearms manufacturer that supplies ABRI weapons, were also found on the edge of the bridge.

I can't possibly go into more detail about the history, as I'm a bit afraid to create such a complex blog. Besides being a bit careful not to violate community rules, I'm also trying not to blog in too much detail so as not to re-open the wounds of the community, which have healed from this incredibly painful event.

The above are some of the images I captured. The image in this image is from our first time at the Arakundo Bridge. If you're traveling along the Banda Aceh-Medan national road, you'll pass this bridge, the shape of the monument being shown in the image I've shared above.

IMG-20251104-WA0297.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0293.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0290.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0287.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0285.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0296.jpg

This bridge is not the original bridge; it has been renovated and rebuilt next to the original. I don't think this is a good thing, because I believe the government built this bridge so that the Acehnese people forget one of the most cruel historical events perpetrated by the authorities.

One of my goals in creating this blog is to convey this message: we Acehnese will never forget history. So, with this simple blog, I hope we can all see and read a glimpse into the history of the Arakundo Bridge.

My friends...
A few days ago, I traveled to East Aceh to capture some images. One that caught my attention, prompting me to stop and capture images for a blog post to share with this community was the Arakundo Bridge.

Here are some of the images I captured on this bridge. This simple bridge holds a very dark history.

IMG-20251104-WA0291.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0295.jpg

Do you see the small building in the picture above between the sides of the bridge?

That's the bridge that was built long ago. It was here that a massacre occurred, which, according to eyewitnesses, killed civilians and injured hundreds more. The perpetrators have yet to be arrested and brought to justice.

I was a little afraid to take clearer pictures because, when I created this blog, I was honestly a little creeped out by the memory of that history. Tears unexpectedly welled up in my eyes as I recalled and reminisced about this very dark story. Hopefully, these brief images will help you visualize it.

If you'd like to read more about this history in detail, you can visit the Wikipedia link I've embedded below. Hopefully, this Wikipedia history will give you a glimpse into how this cruel story unfolded.
Wikipedia

IMG-20251104-WA0283.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0286.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0292.jpg

IMG-20251104-WA0294.jpg

After I was satisfied with my glimpse of the area, I took some pictures of the river under the Arakundo Bridge. The water under the Arakundo Bridge is actually very clean, and local residents also use it for their rice fields and daily needs.

However, due to the rain that has been pouring down on my area for the past few days, the water in the Arakundo River has become very murky, as can be seen in some of the pictures I shared above.

My friends...
I would also like to mention that the incident at this bridge is one of five cases recommended for immediate processing by the independent commission investigating acts of violence in Aceh. Although the Attorney General had already initiated an investigation in November 1999, no members of the security forces have been prosecuted for this act of violence.

Those are some pictures and a short text from me. I hope you all enjoy and are entertained by what I've shared. My message to all my friends in Aceh is that this history is not for us to forget, nor is it an occasion for revenge. Rather, it is a valuable lesson for us to become better in the future.

That's all for now.
Greetings, everyone.
See you on my next blog.



Camera usedHandphone
Lens64 mp
F-stop
Iso speedISO
Focal lengthMM
PhotographyArakundo Bridge
Photographer@antonydossantos

About the author

Maulizar Mawardi or better known as @antonydossantos. I am a student. Like taking pictures, but not a professional photographer, insect lover, nature lover, looking for momentum is my hobby.


Sort:  
Congratulations, your post has been added to The WorldMapPin Map! 🎉



You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.

that so amzaing my friend. I hope i can vist there beacause I wanted to take picture also there.

Thank you very much @rabino7515 for your kind comment

Congratulations, your post has been added to the TravelFeed Map! 🎉🥳🌴

Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!

Want to have your post on the map too?

  • Go to TravelFeed Map
  • Click the create pin button
  • Drag the marker to where your post should be. Zoom in if needed or use the search bar (top right).
  • Copy and paste the generated code in your post (any Hive frontend)
  • Or login with Hive Keychain or Hivesigner and click "create post" to post to Hive directly from TravelFeed
  • Congrats, your post is now on the map!
PS: You can import your previous Pinmapple posts to the TravelFeed map.
map
Opt Out

Congratulations @antonydossantos! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)

You distributed more than 10000 upvotes.
Your next target is to reach 11000 upvotes.

You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

Check out our last posts:

Our Hive Power Delegations to the October PUM Winners
Feedback from the November Hive Power Up Day
Hive Power Up Month Challenge - October 2025 Winners List

Congratulations @antonydossantos! You received the biggest smile and some love from TravelFeed! Keep up the amazing blog. 😍

Thanks for using TravelFeed!
@for91days (TravelFeed team)

PS: Did you know that we have our own Hive frontend at TravelFeed.com? For your next travel post, log in to TravelFeed with Hive Keychain or Hivesigner and take advantage of our exclusive features for travel bloggers.