Acehnese traumatized by conflict<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Aceh<\/p>\n
Faudiah, 42, is still recovering from the traumatic experience of
\nwitnessing a murder in 2001.<\/p>\n
The memory came back to haunt her when she was told that six
\nof her neighbors in Rambot village, Lhok Sukon district, were
\nkilled in an armed clash recently.<\/p>\n
"I cannot even stand to see my neighbor slap her naughty
\nchild. It's like witnessing torture. I cried and shouted.
\nSometimes I have goose bumps all over my body without knowing
\nwhy. But I cannot stop the violence, better I don't see,' she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The woman is one of dozens of Aceh people being treated at the
\nTrauma Center in Lhok Sukon, North Aceh regency.<\/p>\n
They visit the center every Saturday for counseling to help
\ncontrol their fear of going outdoors.<\/p>\n
Last Saturday was Faudiah's third visit and she is now able to
\nremove her hands (from covering her eyes) when she goes outside.<\/p>\n
The center -- jointly run by the state ministry of women's
\nempowerment and the health ministry -- began operating on June
\n17, 2003, almost one month after the government launched its
\nintegrated operation to crush rebels in the province.<\/p>\n
Limited facilities and manpower mean that the center can only
\noffer patients who have recently suffered trauma simple
\ntreatment, including counseling using the cognitive therapy
\nmethod, relaxation and the treatment of medical conditions
\nrelated to the patients' mental state.<\/p>\n
A similar center is situated in Pidie regency.<\/p>\n
North Aceh and Pidie are known as the strongholds of the Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM).<\/p>\n
Thanks to midwives in remote villages and the physicians of
\nvillage health centers -- who directed patients with symptoms of
\ndistress and mental disorder to the center -- 39 residents have
\nreceived treatment.<\/p>\n
Most of the patients are housewives who obsess over the safety
\nof their families. There are also six teenagers and six male
\nadults being treated at the Lhok Sukon center.<\/p>\n
"Many more will come because residents don't realize that they
\nare suffering from trauma until later," Lukman Muhammad Nurdin,
\nthe physician who heads the center, said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He said his patients include civil servants, a regent's wife
\nand a soldier.<\/p>\n
"A bomb exploded next to him and killed a fellow soldier. He
\nstarted to fear his own gun," he said, explaining the soldier's
\nhistory.<\/p>\n
He said another patient lost consciousness whenever he saw
\npeople dressed in military attire, regardless of their
\naffiliation.<\/p>\n
Lukman said that most of the patients complained about
\ncontinuous headaches and heart problems. It would often take 10
\nminutes of interviewing before they were comfortable enough to
\nshare their stories. To encourage them to open up is the toughest
\npart, he said.<\/p>\n
A widow who was raped by three soldiers on June 21, refused to
\ncome to the center.<\/p>\n
"She just wanted to know whether she had conceived, but with a
\nlost look on her face she said she did not need any other
\ntreatment," Lukman said.<\/p>\n
The soldiers were recently sentenced to between two-and-half
\nyears and three-and-half years of imprisonment.<\/p>\n
The only psychologist in the center, Sri Afrianti, said she
\nalso expected the number of patients to increase.<\/p>\n
"But the difficult part is to ask them to come here, they
\ncan't comprehend that if they come to terms with what happened
\nthey can begin to heal." Many of the patients said that their
\nhusbands complained of having to pay for transportation to the
\ncenter although the treatment is free.<\/p>\n
"They also told us that their domestic situations were falling
\napart as their fears were preventing them from working and family
\nfights were ensuing," Sri said.<\/p>\n
However, residents who have been refugees for over two months
\nare not eligible for treatment at the center, although
\npsychiatrists are sent to visit them at the shelter once a week.<\/p>\n
Sondang Bandayani, who heads the Dayah Darul Aitam refugee
\nshelter in Birem Bayeun district, East Aceh, said that the
\npsychiatrist who comes every Wednesday doesn't have any patients.<\/p>\n
"It means that none of the refugees are suffering from the
\ndistress of doing nothing in the shelter," she said.<\/p>\n
But a different picture was evident after talking to the
\nrefugees, who spend most of their time sleeping or playing volley
\nball. The women can use sewing machines provided by the regent's
\nwife, although only at a particular time on Sundays.<\/p>\n
"Reporters, don't come here with your cameras. Bring money.
\nWe've been here for over two months and have no money for our
\nchildren who keep on asking us to buy them snacks," Azarah, a
\nresident of Simpang Peut hamlet of Rantau Seulamat village, said.<\/p>\n
He said he had been diagnosed with anemia three days ago.<\/p>\n
Head of the North Aceh's women empowerment office, Salwa, said
\nthat a similar facility for male residents should be established
\nimmediately, rather than both men and women being treated at the
\nsame center.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-traumatized-by-conflict-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}