6,402 Aceh refugees still live in camps

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: An official has said that 6,402 displaced people in Aceh are still living in refugee camps in five regencies in the ravaged province.

Burhanuddin, a spokesman of the Humanitarian Center at the Aceh Social Affairs Office, said on Tuesday that the displaced people insisted on staying in the camps due to security concerns in their hometowns.

The numbers of refugees remaining in the camps are 3,925 in South Aceh regency, 49 in Central Aceh, 294 in Southwest Aceh, 285 in Aceh Tamiang and 1,849 in East Aceh.

"They have been living in the camps for more than five months," he added.

Some 122,260 Aceh people fled their hometowns and took shelter in camps in 16 regencies or mayoralties after the government declared martial law on May 19, following the collapse of the five-month-old peace accord.

Since then, it had launched integrated operations, mostly involving a military offensive against the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

The government has extended the martial law in the country's westernmost province for another six months, since Nov. 19, 2003. -- Antara