Aid agency halts work after attack on office<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
An international aid agency helping tsunami victims in Aceh has
\ntemporarily shut down operations after a group of youths
\nransacked its Medan office on Wednesday because they had not won
\nan aid contract.<\/p>\n
None of the staff from the International Organization for
\nMigration were seen working in the office, while a security
\nguard, Dedi Agus Saputra, reported that the office would resume
\noperations the coming Monday.<\/p>\n
No staff were available for comment on Thursday.<\/p>\n
IOM Medan had temporarily stopped sending food and medicine
\naid to tsunami victims in Aceh because workers feared more
\nattacks on the office, Dedi said.<\/p>\n
In anticipation of more violence, police sent officers to
\nguard the office.<\/p>\n
Medan Police chief of detectives First. Insp. Taufik said
\npolice would do their best to secure the IOM premises. Officers
\nhad already arrested a 46-year-old man only identified by his
\ninitials, \"MDN\", who was believed to have led the attack. Police
\nwere tracking down five other suspects believed to be part of the
\ngang, Taufik said.<\/p>\n
Taufik said \"MDN\" and the five were witnessed entering the IOM
\noffice, smashing chairs, desks, computers and TV sets and causing
\nthousands of dollars worth of damage.<\/p>\n
The group were apparently acting in retaliation after a bid
\nfor a project linked to Aceh tsunami victims was turned down by
\nthe NGO.<\/p>\n
The group had proposed to the NGO they be given a contract to
\nchannel food, medicine and clothing to tsunami victims in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Dedi, the key witness, said the attack began when the group
\nentered the office in the morning asking to meet an IOM employee.<\/p>\n
Failing to meet the employee, a few hours later they returned
\nat the IOM office. After talking with IOM employees about their
\nproposal and being informed it had been denied, the group smashed
\nup the office.<\/p>\n
An IOM executive, Jose Al Manashe, a Filipino, called the
\npolice but the perpetrators had already fled the scene before the
\npolice arrived.<\/p>\n
The attack on a foreign aid agency is the first in the city,
\nwhich has become the regional hub for aid distribution to Aceh.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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