30 cows slaughtered to welcome Tiro's homecoming

Villagers at the site of a former rebel base near Banda Aceh gavea warm welcome to former Acehnese rebel leader Hasan Di Tiro on Sunday.

The villagers said more than 30 cows had been slaughtered to make gulai Aceh (Aceh stew) for Tiro and hundreds of guests at Meure village, Indrapuri, some 30 kilometers east of Banda Aceh.

Tiro and his entourage visited the grave of his great-grandfather and national hero, Cik Di Tiro.

From a decorated tent in front of the grave but facing a packed audience, Tiro greeted them briefly, and presented a written statement that was read by his assistant, Malik Mahmud.

A woman from Aceh Besar, Ruhama, told The Jakarta Post if she could meet Tiro she would ask him about the fate of "numerous poor people including widows like myself. We still have many bad
roads and a lack of irrigation."

Ruhama said her home in the Lampaku area was damaged during the war, having been used for the Indonesian Military (TNI).