Task force and aid ready for Acehnese refugees before war<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The government has established a task force to help internally
\ndisplaced persons (IDP) in Aceh, if war between government troops
\nand the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) breaks out.<\/p>\n
The government has given the Acehnese rebels, who have been
\nfighting for an independent Aceh since 1976, until May 12 to
\naccept the special autonomy arrangement and disarm, if they want
\nto salvage the peace agreement signed in December 2002.<\/p>\n
Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah said on Friday
\nthat the government expected between 100,000 and 200,000 Acehnese
\nwould be displaced in the case of a war, and had decided to
\nallocate some Rp 400 billion (US$48 million) annually in aid.<\/p>\n
He also said that his ministry's humanitarian team for Aceh
\nhad started making preparations to anticipate the potential wave
\nof Acehnese IDPs.<\/p>\n
\"We have set up a task force ... if a military operation
\nstarts, there will be an evacuation of local residents for whom
\nwe must build shelters and health centers, and provide food,\"
\nBachtiar was quoted by Antara as saying on Friday.<\/p>\n
He added that the government task force would depart for Aceh
\non Sunday to help local teams deal with the expected IDPs.<\/p>\n
Bachtiar said he was appointed by Coordinating Minister for
\nPeople's Welfare Jusuf Kalla to lead the government team to
\nassist IDPs in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Separately, Jusuf asserted that the government had allocated
\nRp 400 billion per year toward IDPs in five regencies, including
\nBireuen and Pidie.<\/p>\n
If a war did not materialize in Aceh, the funds would still be
\ndisbursed to the Acehnese in order to supply food and rebuild
\nschools, houses, hospitals and places of worship, he said.<\/p>\n
So far, the government has disbursed Rp 114 billion to the
\nAceh administration, of which it had used only Rp 40 billion so
\nfar, said Jusuf.<\/p>\n
The Aceh administration had also allocated Rp 200 billion in
\nfunds for the people's welfare, he said.<\/p>\n
As the May 12 deadline for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) draws
\nnear, violence continues in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) plans to deploy between 40,000
\nand 50,000 troops to crack down on the secessionist movement. If
\nit comes to pass, the deployment would be the largest military
\noperation in the history of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Acehnese have started fleeing their homes and villages,
\nfearing the ongoing spate of violence and the imminent war.<\/p>\n
The government said there are about 3,000 IDPs in Aceh at
\npresent, some of whom are taking refuge in school buildings.<\/p>\n
Bachtiar said those IDPs staying in schools must leave the
\nbuildings to allow students to continue their studies.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Mar'ie Muhammad of the Indonesian Red Cross said
\nthat they had sent an ambulance and medical supplies to help the
\nIDPs in Aceh.<\/p>\n
The Red Cross had also distributed 10,000 tons of rice to
\n300,000 families in the resource-rich province, he said, adding
\nthat each family would receive 10 kilograms of rice per month,
\nfor the next four months.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/task-force-and-aid-ready-for-acehnese-refugees-before-war-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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