Irwandi Yusuf
Encyclopedia
Irwandi Yusuf is the current Governor of the Indonesia
n province of Aceh
. He won the 2006 Aceh regional election
as an independent candidate (non-party), along with Muhammad Nazar, S. Ag.
as his partner.
(Alumnus of Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh
), joined the Free Aceh Movement
( or ) in 1990, participating for three years before taking up a scholarship at Oregon State University
, USA, in 1993, where he undertook a Master’s degree in Veterinary Science.
After returning to Banda Aceh to teach at his alma mater, Irwandi became a founding member of the Acehnese branch of the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society
(now known as Fauna and Flora International), lending his veterinary expertise to their conservation campaigns.
command, as negotiation coordinator, and as Expert Staff on counter-intelligence in the Central Command of the Aceh National Army. He spent some time in 2001 with the Red Cross, taking the opportunity to study humanitarian law. Irwandi was arrested in 2003, and was held as a war prisoner
in the Keudah Prison in Banda Aceh
.
Irwandi was in his jail cell when the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
struck. The epicenter of the quake was close to the Acehnese coastline. The population of Aceh before the December, 2004 tsunami was 4,271,000 (2004). The population as of 15 September 2005 was 4,031,589; a discrepancy of 239,411 lives. 170,000 people were confirmed dead.
As the tsunami's waters rose inside the prison, Irwandi fled to the Musholla (prayer room) on the second floor while walls crumbled around him. His only means of escape was to punch a hole through the asbestos
ceiling, scramble onto the roof, and hang on until the tsunami abated.
Out of the prison population of 278, Irwandi was one of just 40 survivors.
In the aftermath of the tsunami, GAM
and the Indonesian central command negotiated a peace settlement, and Irwandi renounced his separatist agenda
. No longer in conflict with the Indonesian government
, the former rebel liaised with the international NGOs
whose presence paved the way for Aceh’s first democratic election in almost 30 years. It was a landslide victory for Irwandi, who won 39.3% of the popular vote, as announced by Public Issue Network (JIP) and Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI).
He took office in February 2007 and now has a normal relationship with the army that once pursued him as a GAM rebel. In an unusual move for a former revolutionary, he kept much of the old administration in place although he also moved to reform a range of positions in the senior ranks of the provincial public service. In a 2007 New York Times interview, Irwandi said, "I tell them, 'I believe, I trust you all. You are all trustworthy until you prove otherwise. Then I will know.'" In the same interview, he remarked that his former enemies in the Cabinet were welcome to ‘rock and roll’ with him – "Rock and roll... That means to do something new, rocky, that was never felt before. It is spirit. Spirited people. Young blood. Young spirit."
One of Governor Irwandi's priorities is the protection of Aceh’s magnificent rainforest
. "This is my obsession, since a long time ago - that Aceh is Aceh, and the forests of Aceh need to be kept well." His first step as a green governor has been to embrace the establishment of carbon trading
in Aceh
using the REDD mechanism
, (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) in order to reinvigorate the faltering economy and prevent further destruction of Aceh's rainforests.
He declared a moratorium on all logging
in Aceh in March 2007, and personally drives out to the villages to conduct spot inspections of former logging camps, encouraging the locals to take up sustainable new professions.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n province of Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
. He won the 2006 Aceh regional election
Acehnese regional election, 2006
Regional elections were held in Aceh on 11 December 2006 after a peace treaty had been signed between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement on 15 August 2005, ending the Insurgency in Aceh.-Candidates:...
as an independent candidate (non-party), along with Muhammad Nazar, S. Ag.
Muhammad Nazar
Muhammad Nazar, S.Ag. , is current Vice-Governor of Aceh, Indonesia for the 2007-2012 term in office...
as his partner.
Biography
Irwandi Yusuf, a veterinarianVeterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
(Alumnus of Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
), joined the Free Aceh Movement
Free Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
( or ) in 1990, participating for three years before taking up a scholarship at Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
, USA, in 1993, where he undertook a Master’s degree in Veterinary Science.
After returning to Banda Aceh to teach at his alma mater, Irwandi became a founding member of the Acehnese branch of the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society
Fauna and Flora Preservation Society
Fauna & Flora International , formerly the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society, is an international conservation charity and non-governmental organization....
(now known as Fauna and Flora International), lending his veterinary expertise to their conservation campaigns.
Political career
His concern for Acehnese socio-political issues led him into further contact with GAM. He held several different positions in the movement, including as a special staff office for psy warfare in the Central GAMFree Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
command, as negotiation coordinator, and as Expert Staff on counter-intelligence in the Central Command of the Aceh National Army. He spent some time in 2001 with the Red Cross, taking the opportunity to study humanitarian law. Irwandi was arrested in 2003, and was held as a war prisoner
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in the Keudah Prison in Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
.
Irwandi was in his jail cell when the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
struck. The epicenter of the quake was close to the Acehnese coastline. The population of Aceh before the December, 2004 tsunami was 4,271,000 (2004). The population as of 15 September 2005 was 4,031,589; a discrepancy of 239,411 lives. 170,000 people were confirmed dead.
As the tsunami's waters rose inside the prison, Irwandi fled to the Musholla (prayer room) on the second floor while walls crumbled around him. His only means of escape was to punch a hole through the asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
ceiling, scramble onto the roof, and hang on until the tsunami abated.
Out of the prison population of 278, Irwandi was one of just 40 survivors.
In the aftermath of the tsunami, GAM
Free Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
and the Indonesian central command negotiated a peace settlement, and Irwandi renounced his separatist agenda
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
. No longer in conflict with the Indonesian government
Politics of Indonesia
Politics of Indonesia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Indonesia is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both...
, the former rebel liaised with the international NGOs
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
whose presence paved the way for Aceh’s first democratic election in almost 30 years. It was a landslide victory for Irwandi, who won 39.3% of the popular vote, as announced by Public Issue Network (JIP) and Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI).
He took office in February 2007 and now has a normal relationship with the army that once pursued him as a GAM rebel. In an unusual move for a former revolutionary, he kept much of the old administration in place although he also moved to reform a range of positions in the senior ranks of the provincial public service. In a 2007 New York Times interview, Irwandi said, "I tell them, 'I believe, I trust you all. You are all trustworthy until you prove otherwise. Then I will know.'" In the same interview, he remarked that his former enemies in the Cabinet were welcome to ‘rock and roll’ with him – "Rock and roll... That means to do something new, rocky, that was never felt before. It is spirit. Spirited people. Young blood. Young spirit."
One of Governor Irwandi's priorities is the protection of Aceh’s magnificent rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. "This is my obsession, since a long time ago - that Aceh is Aceh, and the forests of Aceh need to be kept well." His first step as a green governor has been to embrace the establishment of carbon trading
Carbon trading
Carbon trading may refer to:*Carbon emission trading*Personal carbon trading*Emissions trading...
in Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
using the REDD mechanism
Clean Development Mechanism
The Clean Development Mechanism is one of the "flexibility" mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol . It is defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, and is intended to meet two objectives: to assist parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the...
, (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) in order to reinvigorate the faltering economy and prevent further destruction of Aceh's rainforests.
He declared a moratorium on all logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
in Aceh in March 2007, and personally drives out to the villages to conduct spot inspections of former logging camps, encouraging the locals to take up sustainable new professions.