'Proposal for compensation does not equal justice'<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Legal and human rights activists have warned Aceh authorities
\nagainst using proposed compensation for victims of human abuses
\nand their families as an excuse to avoid rights abuse trials in
\nthe restive province.<\/p>\n
\"The trials must go on,\" said Jufri Zainuddin, chairman of the
\nSolidarity for Victims of Human Rights Abuses (SPKP) here on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
He said all relatives of the victims expected a fair trial of
\nthose allegedly involved in human rights abuses.<\/p>\n
Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Aceh chapter chairman Rufriadi
\naccused the government of trying to close the mouths of victims's
\nrelatives, saying besides a fair trial, the relatives also needed
\nfinancial aid to support their lives.<\/p>\n
\"The victims do need food, but bringing those involved in
\nhuman rights abuses to court is more important,\" Rufriadi said.<\/p>\n
Both Jufri and Rufriadi were commenting on an Aceh provincial
\nadministration proposal to provide Rp 50 million (US$5,300) in
\ncompensation to the families of those murdered in the conflict-
\nravaged province.<\/p>\n
Deputy governor of Aceh Azwar Abubakar recently said Rp
\n500,000 could be paid per month over a period of 100 months to
\nthe families. He said his office would seek approval from the
\nprovincial legislative council.<\/p>\n
Azwar said the proposal was conceived during a seminar on the
\ndevelopment of a new Aceh last December and after obtaining input
\nfrom religious leaders.<\/p>\n
The provincial administration eventually called on regents and
\nmayors throughout Aceh to identify the casualties.<\/p>\n
Records shows that as of Sept. 2002, the number of casualties
\nreported from the regions had reached 4,375 people. Due to
\nlimited finances, the families of only 3,400 victims had received
\nRp 3 million in compensation.<\/p>\n
Jufri hailed the proposal, saying the government had paid more
\nattention to the victims of violence. He added the compensation
\nwas recognition of the violence in the resource-rich province.<\/p>\n
\"The victims need money to sustain their lives, but it does
\nnot satisfy them. They need justice.\"<\/p>\n
Jufri said the compensation they got from the government would
\nnot rehabilitate their name. The security forces often suspect
\nthem of provoking violence. Therefore, there must be a fair trial
\nto rehabilitate their names.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Aceh provincial administration had collected
\nthe names of the families of 4,390 victims to get compensation.
\nIt had allocated Rp 10.2 billion in the first package. Each
\nfamily will receive Rp 3 million.<\/p>\n
This is different from an earlier promise from Azwar that each
\nfamily would receive Rp 50 million.<\/p>\n
Azwar said the payment of compensation was an Islamic approach
\nto resolving conflict in Aceh. He added he hoped the compensation
\nwould relieve the burden of the surviving family members, mainly
\nwomen whose husbands were murdered.<\/p>\n
\"Referring to the Islamic law, the conflict will have finished
\nafter the victims receives diyat (compensation),\" he said, adding
\nthat diyat could eliminate revenge by those victims.<\/p>\n
Azwar said the Aceh provincial administration would propose
\npaying Rp 50 million compensation to the family of each of the
\nvictims.<\/p>\n
With a high regional budget, he said, he believed there was no
\nreason for the administration not to pay the compensation.<\/p>\n
Since armed conflict erupted in Aceh, the number of casualties
\nis estimated to have cost nearly 10,000 lives. Some 11,000 houses
\nhave been burned down. Children lost their parents and have no
\naccess to education.<\/p>\n
The compensation could be given to people in the form of
\ncultivated land and money to start a small business, he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/proposal-for-compensation-does-not-equal-justice-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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