Coat of arms of Aceh
| Coat of arms of Aceh | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armiger | Aceh Province (as the official successor to the Special Region of Aceh Province) |
| Adopted | 1961 |
| Shield | Dacin, rencong, paddy, cotton, pepper, chimney, book, and kalam |
| Motto | Pancacita |
The Coat of arms of Aceh, also known as Pancacita, is a coat of arms consisting of a pentagonal shield that resembles a kopiah. Inside it is a scale with two rencongs at the top, under it, a stalk of rice, cotton, and factory chimneys, with a mosque dome and a qalam pen pointing at a book in between, with the province's motto in Sanskrit below, reading: Pancacita[1]
History and meaning
[edit]History
[edit]Adopted in 1961 through Regional Regulation of the Special Region of Aceh Province No. 39 of 1961 concerning emblem of Special Region of Aceh,[2] the coat of arms was designed by Chairul Bahri, a Gayo painter from Aceh.[3]
Meaning
[edit]The coat of arms has the motto Pancacita ('Five Ideals'), namely justice, heroism, prosperity, harmony, and welfare. The symbolism of Pancacita's motto can also found in the individual symbols inside the shield:[4]
- Scale representing justice
- Rencong representing heroism
- Rice, cotton, and factory chimneys representing welfare
- Mosque dome representing harmony
- Book and qalam pen representing prosperity
The mosque dome, book, and qalam pen may also represent Aceh's spirituality and religiosity, especially Islam, and knowledge.[5] The coat of arms colours also has the following meanings:
- White representing purity
- Yellow representing prosperity
- Green representing proserity and welfare
New emblem proposal
[edit]
On March 25, 2013, the Aceh Government under Governor Zaini Abdullah established the Crescent Star flag as the flag of Aceh, and the symbols of the Lion and Burak holding a rencong, earrings, shield, wreath, rice, anchor, Arabic letters ta, rudder, and the crescent star, with the motto "Hudép Beusaré, Maté Beusajan" (Jawoë: هوديف بسرى ماتى بساجن pronounced [hudep bɯsare mate bɯsaɟan]; Live Together, Die Together). This symbol is stated in Aceh Qanun No. 3 of 2013, replacing Regional Regulation No. 39 of 1961 concerning the Symbol of the Special Region of Aceh. which is the legal basis for the Pancacita symbol. The flag originated from the Free Aceh Movement, and was realized since the Understanding between the Republic of Indonesia and GAM in Helsinki in 2005, that Aceh has the right to use all kinds of symbols that it uses as a regional identity, including flags, emblems, and hymns, and not symbols of sovereignty.[6] Once the Qanun was enacted, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemendagri) asked the Aceh Government to evaluate it within a 15-day grace period because the Aceh Government was required to revise the Aceh symbol.[7]
However, this Aceh Qanun was rejected on May 12, 2016, because it was considered to use symbols of banned organizations or separatist movements operating in the Republic of Indonesia. In the Decree of Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia 188.34-4791 of 2016 dated May 12, 2016, the symbol violates Government Regulation No. 77 of 2007. Aceh Senator Ghazali Abbas Adan stated that "even until the Day of Judgment it will never be accepted by the Central Government."[8]
Separate from the symbol version of this Qanun, the Aceh People's Advocacy Foundation (YARA) proposed a second alternative for the Aceh regional symbol. Their version of the flag is green with a yellow crescent and star and the Aceh sword. While their version of the symbol, they proposed dove, dacin, Aceh Pinto, al-Qur'an, rencong, rice, and cotton. For them, the proposed symbol is enough to give Islam color to the regional identity.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Diskominfo dan Sandi Aceh. "Lambang" (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
- ^ "Regional Regulation No.39 of 1961 concerning the Symbol of the Special Region of Aceh - Aceh Library and Archives Service". acehprov.sikn.go.id. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ "Chairul Bahri, Gayo Blood Painter, Designer Figure Pancacita, the Symbol of the Aceh Government". Serambi Wiki. April 8, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Heriansyah, Dedy (5 May 2024). "Makna dan Sepenggal Kisah Lambang Aceh Pancacita". www.rri.co.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ Website Resmi, Dinas Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dan Gampong Aceh. "Lambang". dpmg.acehprov.go.id. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "GAM Flag Officially Valid in Aceh". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2022-01-03.
- ^ "Qanun Evaluated, Ministry of Home Affairs Urges Aceh Residents Not to Raise the Flag". detikcom (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2022-01-03.
- ^ bakri. "Qanun Bendera Dibatalkan 3 Tahun Lalu, Ghazali Abbas Adan Menyatakan Hingga Judgment Pun Ditolak". Tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2022-01-03.
- ^ Nur, Zainal Arifin M. "Sues Qanun, This is the Aceh Flag and Symbol Proposed by YARA". Tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2022-01-03.