The city of Calang, in western Aceh, was devastated by the tsunami that struck in December 2004. This event brought Aceh to the attention of the international community and prompted aid organizations, as well as the US military, to respond with assistance that effectively “opened” the region, which had long been isolated by the Indonesian military as it fought to quell the regional insurgency. This essay offers an eye-witness account of the situation in Calang, as it has been complicated by an influx of humanitarian aid and the continuing presence of Indonesian soldiers trying to perform two tasks—to assist and to repress—simultaneously.