She lives in Pante Kuyun village, Setia Bakti sub-district, Aceh Jaya district. Arnilawati Her name is. Her house is not far from the crossroads. The half-stilt house is surrounded by areca trees, coconut trees and other fruit trees. But some of these buildings have been eaten by termites.
Her father couldn't afford to repair their house, because he didn't have enough money.
"Understandably, my family is poor. Father and mother are just ordinary farmers ” she said.
She is the second of five children. Her eldest sister is named Arjawati, born in 1975. She was born two years after Arjawati. There are two younger sisters who were born after her and one youngest brother.
When she was little, she and her sister played near home. One day their father was climbing a coconut tree behind the house. As soon as my father dropped the coconuts, her sister picked them up one by one.
"Then my sister took a machete, split a coconut. As soon as she hammered a machete into a coconut, her finger was hit by a machete.
Hearing her roar in pain, my father came running down to her. And trying to catch the loose finger. Because it was too late, the fingers could no longer be joined.
Unfortunately, her thumb was left of the butt, ” recalled Arnilawati.
At the age of seven, Arjawati was entered to elementary school. After graduating She continued studying at the State Madrasah Tsanawiyah in Calang until graduation. In 1987, she was registered as a santriwati at the Abu Wahab Islamic boarding school, in Seulimum, Aceh Besar District.
"My sister has been staying at the pesantren for more than three years," said Arnilawati.
Around the 1990s, her sister returned home. She saw her sister grow up. She has fairer skin, also prettier than before. She also has snuggletooth which make her cuter.
Her sister started looking for work to help their parents. She is not picky about work. There is no sense of pride or shame
“My sister used to work as a clothes washer. Embroider. Raising goats. Growing crops. Her wages or the results of his labor she gave to the mother. The rest saved. After long time her saving increased. I heard that she plans to build a shop in the village from her savings, ”said Arnilawati.
Arjawati's dream came true. The shop built was not far from the house. She started a grocery business at the shop. It was pretty in demand. The result is enough to help the family economy. The school fees for her siblings and housing needs are borne by her. Their fathers and mothers felt the burden as parents was lighter thanks to Arjawati.
“Its success is a role model for me. I always follow her advice. In my eyes, she is a capable woman. Which deserves a thumbs up. Because of admiration for her figure, I still remember her advice, ”said Arnilawati, remembering her sister’s personality.
While this family was enjoying the pleasures of life, suddenly disaster came. Arnilawati still remembers that day was the seventeenth night of Ramadan, Friday, November 23, 2002, around three in the morning.
Their family is preparing a meal. She and her mother were putting rice and curry on the table. Her father sat cross-legged on the floor, close to his sister. Her sister's position is a bit close to the door.
Suddenly there was a knock at the kitchen door, then a low, polite voice. Her sister forbade them to open the door and said that it might be a ghost.
After that the knocking got louder, accompanied by human voices behind the door. When the door was opened, several soldiers in uniform, complete with weapons, immediately entered the house. Instantly this family panicked against the soldiers.
“A soldier pointed a gun at me asking which one is Arjawati. I'm silent. My brother also fell silent in fear "said Arnilawati.
The soldiers then went to the back of the house, then returned to the house again. Three times the soldier went back and forth in and out of the house. The third time he entered the house and immediately pointed at Arjawati's face.
"You are named Arjawati" said the soldier.
The soldiers immediately grabbed the young woman's hand and dragged her out of the house. There was a push between the soldiers and this family. Arjawati fought with all her might, trying to release the soldier's grip. The gold necklace that was wrapped around her neck broke and fell on the kitchen floor.
Their father had pointed a flashlight at the face of the soldier who was holding Arjawati's hand, asking what was wrong with his daughter and why should she be detained. The soldiers retaliated by grabbing a flashlight and hitting the father’s head until his forehead was bleeding and his left eyeball almost popped out. Pressing his eyeballs inward and enduring the pain, he asked his wife to chase after their daughter who was brought by the soldier.
"Together with my mother, I walked in the dark of the night following the direction my sister was taken. My sister was taken by army car to Calang. After four hours of walking, my mother and I arrived at the TNI (Indonesian National Army) post in Lhok Kubu, Calang,”said Arnilawati.
Arriving at the post, she and her mother asked permission to meet Arjawati. A soldier on guard invited them in.
"You can meet but you can't linger," said a soldier.
She and the mother got into the post. She saw her brother sat languidly in a small room. Her face is wrinkled. Her cheeks are wet. Her hair is messy. Mother immediately embraced and hugged her.
"I'm afraid, Mak. How can I go home. Mak, don't leave me here alone. Please accompany me, Mom, "asked the older sister to their mother.
After a while, a soldier drove Arnilawati and her mother away. When leaving the post, she asked what her her had done wrong.
"We'll tell you later. Mother, just go home first, ”said the soldier.
Arnilawati went to the village head and reported Arjawati's arrest. But the village head couldn't do anything.
A few weeks later she returned to the army post. A soldier there said that her sister had been transferred to another place. The soldier advised not to look for Arjawati, because she would be released when she was finished.
When she arrived home, she told his parents the words of the soldiers. Her mother was devastated and bedridden for three months. Can't get up. Do not want to eat. Her mother continues to cry over Arjawati's memory and has been quiet ever since.
The humanitarian pause came several months after Arjawati was arrested. Arnilawati warmly welcomed this moment. She thought Aceh already in peace. Because many of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) troops have come down from the mountains. The army and police have stopped operating in the villages. She thought would have the opportunity to meet Arjawati again.
“Mother told me to sell Arjawati's gold which fell when she was arrested. The gold weighing seven mayam was sold for transportation costs. I went to Meulaboh and Banda Aceh to look for Arjawati, " she said.
She went to Banda Aceh to report what happened to her sister to the Hendry Dunant Center (HDC). She heard that HDC can help search for people who were arrested during the conflict. They can also release those who have been arrested. She went straight to the Kuala Tripa Hotel, where GAM and TNI representatives met to discuss the Aceh conflict.
“I met Kamaruzzaman. He is a representative of GAM. I told him about Arjawati's arrest. I asked Mr. Kamaruzzaman for help in finding out where Arjawati was being detained. There have been several times I went back and forth to the HDC office. Then Mr. Kamaruzzaman ordered me to come to PMI (Indonesian Red Cross). He ordered to report Arjawati's case to PMI, ”said Arnilawati.
It turned out that this process was convoluted. She also decided to return home.
Two years later, in 2004, she went again to Banda Aceh. This time she visited Lhoknga prison. Because she received information that many prisoners during the conflict were imprisoned in Lhoknga.
She had met Cut Nurhasikin, a political prisoner from the Indonesian government. Cut Nurhasikin was sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges of treason. He is one of the GAM negotiators. Later She died in prison when the tsunami hit Aceh.
“I asked Mrs. Cut. Previously, I told about Arjawati's characteristics. I tell her what happened. Mrs. Cut said there was no prisoner named Arjawati. Maybe she was not detained here, ”said Arnilawati.
She went to the detention booths, surveying the occupants one by one. But her sister wasn't there. She was desperate. She has done various ways to find out her sister’s whereabouts and failed.
Her mother and father then talked about their dreams. In this dream, Arjawati returned home dressed in white, asked why the flowers were dry and not watered, then said "it's okay" because she had already returned. The dream made her mother and father believe that their eldest daughter was dead.
When the tsunami hit Aceh in late 2004, Arnilawati just stopped looking for her sister. she has surrendered to the Almighty.
EN 
ID