Aceh protester dies on hunger strike<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A 12-day-long protest by 600 Acehnese transmigrant refugees over
\nthe slow disbursement of resettlement funds has claimed the life
\nof one, and hospitalized four others.<\/p>\n
Coordinator of the Aceh Refugee Advocacy Forum (FPAA)
\nIkhwaluddin Simatupang said on Monday that the 43-year old
\nrefugee, Sakino, had died of malnutrition even though he had not
\njoined the hunger strike being staged by 48 other refugees.<\/p>\n
Ikhwaluddin said the health situation of the approximately 600
\nrefugees was deteriorating by the day due to a lack of food.<\/p>\n
Since their protest began 12 days ago, he said, the refugees
\nhave been relying solely on charity from locals.<\/p>\n
"The refugees eat only if someone gives them money. Otherwise
\nthey don't eat the whole day," Ikhwaluddin told The Jakarta Post
\nover the phone.<\/p>\n
Sakino died on Saturday in a hospital in Langkat regency.<\/p>\n
Four of the 48 refugees, who have been on hunger strike since
\nlast week, were rushed to Sundari Hospital in Medan on Sunday and
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
The refugees were protesting the suspended disbursement of
\nresettlement funds from the government.<\/p>\n
Last December, Jakarta suspended its aid over suspicions that
\nRp 2.6 billion (about US$290,000) of the Rp 105 billion program
\nhad been embezzled by local officials in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
The humanitarian aid program covered 12,000 families, and each
\nwas to get Rp 8.75 million.<\/p>\n
Following the protest by the refugees, Minister of Social
\nAffairs Bachtiar Chamsyah promised last Thursday to disburse the
\nfunds to the remaining families.<\/p>\n
On Monday, another group of 3,000 refugees from Aceh came to
\nthe office of North Sumatra Governor Rizal Nurdin, demanding the
\nimmediate disbursement of the funds as promised by Bachtiar.<\/p>\n
Rizal, however, was in Jakarta and the 3,000 protesters
\ndecided to camp outside his office until they received a reply.<\/p>\n
A 26-year war in Aceh between the Indonesian military and the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) has forced many to flee to neighboring
\nprovinces in Sumatra.<\/p>",
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