In December 2004, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean earthquake caused a devastating tsunami, killing over 167,000 people in Indonesia (mainly in Aceh) and ruining the region's infrastructure and land.

On Saturday, Bill Clinton visited three locations that had been impacted by the 2004 tsunami - Lhokseudu, Lampuuk and Lambung - accompanied by Kuntoro Mangkusubroto (head of the Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency, or BRR), Zaini Abdullah (Governor of Aceh), and Malik Mahmud Al-Haytar (a cultural leader in Aceh).

Prior to Clinton’s arrival (and during his arrival at Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Aceh Besar), several demonstrations were organized as some segments of Indonesian society were concerned that Clinton’s arrival was an US attempt to meddle in Indonesian political affairs (in the context of the close race between presidential candidates Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto). There were also voices that protested against Clinton’s arrival due to the US alliance with Israel. However, these protests did not lead to real public disturbances.

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