1924	Leaders of the Alas & Gago tribes, worried that the Dutch Colonial settlers would despoil their sacred forests, petitioned the Colonial Government to create a protected reserve of their forest around Mount Leuser, not just the mountains but right down to the sea.
1934	After several years of lobbying, the Dutch gave them the mountains, signing a declaration protecting the Leuser mountains for all time.  The Dutch never regained Aceh after World War II - although it can be argued that they never possessed it, as the Acehnese resisted their colonising with the longest conflict every fought by the Dutch, costing them 10,000 lives.
1949	UN brokered the transfer of sovereignty from Dutch East Indies to the Republic of Indonesia.  Kingdom of Aceh included despite never having been formally incorporated into the Dutch colonial possession.  The Indonesian government used armed troops to annex Aceh.
1950's	Precursor to the Acehnese independence movement started.
1959	Jakarta grants Aceh 'special territory' status but retained control of the natural resources, including the forest and wood resources.
1973	Herman Rijksen establishes the Orangutan research station at Ketambe in Leuser.
1976	Creation of the armed resistance group Gerekan Aceh Merdeka (GAM - Free Aceh Movement)
1981	The Indonesian Government commit to creating a reserve of Leuser and there was a Decree of Designation.  The next step is a Decree of Gazettment but the conditions for this were never fulfilled.  The reserve staff had no budget.
1981	Two expatriats based in Medan, Mike Griffiths and Rex Sumner, tried to enter the new reserve to photograph the surviving wild animals.  They found illegal loggers and poaching rife in the reserve and concluded there was no hope for the future of the major wildlife of SE Asia.  Mike suffered a car accident and broke his back and during his recuperation in hospital in Singapore he changed his mind and determined to do something about it.
1985	Mike sponsored by Mobil Oil to photograph the animals of Leuser reserve.  Spent first year developing camera trap techniques including re-charging batteries in the forest.  Trips of 5-6 weeks at a time deep in the jungle with his guide, ex-rhino poacher.  Developed ways to de-scent equipment and overcome the problems of elephant eating the cameras.  Started to produce exceptional photographs.  Mike became the first and only person to photograph all 5 rhino species in the wild.
1988	Exxon Mobil published Mike's photographs in the book 'Indonesian Eden' launched in Washington DC.  The Indonesian Ambassador to Indonesia greatly impressed by the wealth of animals in Indonesia - most people at the time were not aware of the wildlife riches in this remote area.
1989	Mike was ready to go back to the oil fields when he was asked by the WWF to use his camera techniques to take a census of the Javanese Rhinos.  They took over 200 photos of the rhinos, establishing that there were 46 individuals - they named each one individually, confirmed that the female has no horn and discovered their habits and social interraction.  Published with Prof Van Schaike a thesis on the habits of the Java rhino.  These camera techniques are now used worldwide for census of forest animals, together with the mathematical models developed by two UK mathematicians.
1990	The photography in the park for the last four years revealed that there was little wildlife in the park - it was all in the rich lowlands while the mountains were devoid of life.  It was realised that to keep the wildlife it was necessary to preserve the entire ecosystem from the mountains to the coast.  This is exactly what the tribes had wanted back in 1924.  However saving the reserve would take vastly more resources than the reserves US$60,000 per annum budget - at the time the developers were estimated to have a US$500 million per year yield.
1991	Mike discovered Bengkung, an area of Leuser that was a true paradise, rich in rhino, elephant, tiger and apes.  So did the developers and the Battle for Benkung started - the Government and loggers on one side, one photographer on the other.
1992	Herman Rijksen of Ketambe Orangutan research received a grant of US$1 million and asked Mike to work with him.  Transformed the original grant into the preparation phase for a larger, 7 year project.
1993	US$32million grant from the EEC with US$18million from Indonesian Government, of which US$6million eventually arrived for the project.  Realisation that the local government had no experience in managing this type of project.
1994	Leuser International Foundation started, chaired by exAmbassador to the US with the Minister of Co-Operatives and the Governor of Aceh on the board, as well as the previous Governor of Aceh and three District Heads.  Minister of Forestry wrote a decree giving the Foundation the management rights for Leuser and the grant to be channelled through the Foundation.
1998	The last Presidential Decree in the reign of Soeharto formalised the existence of the Leuser Ecosystem as an official area that had to be preserved for all time.  For the rest of his life, Soeharto always wanted to know how the reserve was progressing.
2001	The previous decade provided a raft of successes for LIF.  The Battle for Bengkung was finally won and now the area is returning to its previous beauty.  More than 40 projects were closed down, all of which were lethal to the forest.  These included 9 logging concessions, 2 cattle ranches, 3 oil palm plantations, the damming of the Alas river, 3 road projects, draining the swamp and reversing and stopping a transmigration project.  Phenomenal achievements. At the same time a constituency of support was developed amongst local people, fisherman, farmers, teachers, future leaders, religious leaders, to the extent that when the first popular election was called after the war, three campaigners were on environmental ticket and the most environmental won. Most important of all, the bio-diversity was maintained and not a species was lost.  Meanwhile, a multi-national effort extremely well funded to the south started with 500 rhino and by the end lost the lot and the forest.  The LIF methods work. During this period there was the war of independence being fought, rangers were caught in the crossfire and eight were lost.
2004	The tsunami hit and devastated Aceh.  LIF first charity on the ground and for the next two years distributed the aid provided by Philip Chubb and Rotary. One positive effect of the tsunami was it precipitated the Helsinki peace accord which gave autonomy to Aceh.
2005	LIF's participation in the relief effort recognised by Flora & Fauna International with a further grant.  Continued management of the forest and census taking of the animals now possible with the war over, revealing substantial populations.
2006	The peace agreement gave Aceh the mandate to manage it's own system.  Act no 11 2006 created a new institution to manage the Leuser Ecosystem called BPKEL.  At the same time, extra clauses were inserted into a bill in Jakarta parliament at the last moment, which went through on the final reading which took the responsibility for the Aceh forest from the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and gave it to BPKEL.  BPKEL to be funded by LIF and the Aceh Parliament.
2007	Mike resigned from LIF and moved to BPKEL. New Governor of Aceh wanted to assist, and stopped all logging in Aceh.  Massive decision.
2008	Without funds, BPKEL was funded from Mike's personal pocket.  Built up a team of dedicated conservationists.    Agreement reached with the Sustainable Forest Management UK for the sale of carbon credits, but SFM ran into problems with the recession and no money recieved.
2009	Morgan Family Foundation visits in January and provides emergency funding. In May, first ever illegal Oil Palm Plantation was cut down and allowed to revert to forest despite bribes of over a years salary being offered to BPKEL managers - who hadn't been paid for two months. In July, first eco tourists, Rex Sumner's party, visited the jungle and saw the achievements, unmatched.  On return to UK Force for the Forest was formed to provide funding to enable the work to continue.

 

 

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