Emergency status would starve Aceh refugees<\/p>\n
Edith Hartanto and Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post,
\nBanda Aceh<\/p>\n
Thousands of refugees in Aceh will completely lose access to aid
\nand food supplies due to blocked lines of transportation if, as
\nexpected, a civilian emergency is imposed in this restive
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
The refugees, including women and babies, are currently living
\nin abhorrent conditions and facing water shortages in camps
\nacross the strife-torn area.<\/p>\n
\"Today, it is extremely difficult to channel aid to these
\nrefugees because of the tight security cordon in and around the
\nrefugee camps. They forbid people to enter the camps with goods
\nin hand or in packages. We can still manage to send refugees aid
\nby traveling by sea or by taking shortcuts via the surrounding
\nforests,\" said Hermanto, a spokesman for the People's Crisis
\nCenter of Aceh (PCC-Aceh).<\/p>\n
PCC-Aceh is a non-governmental organization which monitors and
\nupdates records on the number and conditions of refugees across
\n17 primary camps in the country's westernmost province.<\/p>\n
\"But I cannot imagine, how can we send them aid during a
\ncivilian emergency when deployment of security forces in and
\naround these camps will be sharply increased, as well as in the
\nforests? Transportation lines will most likely be totally
\nblocked, due to increased security and curfews.\"<\/p>\n
The central government is due to decide on Aceh's fate on Aug.
\n5.<\/p>\n
\"The government could call it a civilian emergency once it is
\nimposed, but the Acehnese will always see it as a military
\nemergency, due to the military domination in Aceh,\" Hermanto
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
During a decade-long military operation (DOM), in a desperate
\nattempt to rid the province of separatist rebels in Aceh, which
\nended in 1998, 1,025 were killed according to government data,
\nhowever rights groups put figure perhaps 10 times higher.<\/p>\n
Refugees in Aceh, including transmigrant Javanese, fled their
\nhomes due to continuous clashes between separatist rebels and
\nsecurity forces, which have resulted in the deaths of at least
\n600 people this year alone.<\/p>\n
Aside from the fact that most of their homes have been burned
\ndown, refugees in these camps suffer from malnutrition, and
\ndiseases ranging from diarrhea, breathing problems and severe
\nskin diseases, Hermanto said.<\/p>\n
Hermanto said that to date, PCC-Aceh workers had to travel by
\nsea and walk through remote forest trails carrying food and
\nmedical supplies on motorcycles, for the refugees in camps in
\nEast Aceh, North Aceh, Central Aceh, West Aceh and Pidie.<\/p>\n
\"Officials refuse our entry to the camps over any suspicions
\nthat we are supporting rebel-affiliated refugees (ethnic
\nAcehnese). Refugees are perceived as friends or even shields for
\nthe Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebels, who allegedly use
\nrefugee camps as a platform to gain support from either the
\nAcehnese public or media, both local and international,\" Hermanto
\nclaimed.<\/p>\n
In 1999, when the number of refugees had skyrocketed due to
\nthe rising tensions, leaders of GAM had reportedly used these
\ncamps as a base to conduct interviews with both the international
\nand local media, or even to make contact with certain refugees.<\/p>\n
Around two years ago, Hermanto recalled, refugees living in
\nthe Idi Rayeuk district of East Aceh had to abandon the area due
\nto a GAM occupation for over 14 hours. The refugees ended up
\nliving, sleeping and eating in boats, floating in the middle of
\nthe Simpang Ulim river.<\/p>\n
Another PCC-Aceh activist, Misdawan R.H., said security forces
\nguarding the camps, mainly in East Aceh and North Aceh, and the
\nAceh provincial administration had refused to distribute or give
\naid to the refugees, unless they agreed to return to their homes.
\nThe refugees do not comply with the request because aside from
\ntheir fragile health condition, their homes had been burned down,
\nMisdawan added.<\/p>\n
PCC-Aceh has noted that refugees hit hard by a water shortage
\nand inadequate sanitary facilities are located in the Lhok Nibong
\ncamp in the Pante Bidari district, Geulumpang Payong camp in
\nSungai Raya district, Kuala Malihan camp in the Simpang Ulim
\ndistrict, the Kuala Idi camp in the Idi Rayeuk district, Gajah
\nMeunta camp and Alue Rangan camp in Sungai Raya district, all in
\nEast Aceh.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/emergency-status-would-starve-aceh-refugees-1447893297",
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