Aceh 'refugees' encroach on park

Aceh 'refugees' encroach on park

MEDAN, North Sumatra: More than 500 families of Acehnese who
fled clashes between separatist rebels and the military have
encroached on Gunung Leuser National Park, a non-governmental
organization reported on Friday.

They have turned part of the park into a refugee camp and
built a school as their number constantly increases, according to
Ridwan AR, coordinator of Conservation Management of Leuser.

The first group of 200 families (800 people) came to the park
in October, 2000. Last November, Conservation Management of
Leuser and a number of NGOs helped 151 families (628 people) move
to Riau.

But as the tension has continued to increase, displaced
persons have started to arrive in larger numbers since then. Now,
over 500 families live in the protected state property.

"We suspect that many of them are, in fact, not Acehnese who
fled the violence in their villages. Many of them have identity
cards from Karo and Tapanuli (in North Sumatra)," said Ridwan.

Ridwan said he suspected that many of the refugees were in
fact people who were working for cukong, or financiers, who paid
them to steal wood from the park.

Among those financiers were executives of the local chapter of
the Indonesian Farmers' Association (HKTI). The park management
had sought to relocate the "refugees", Ridwan said. (42)