Aceh victims gets aid

Aceh victims gets aid

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: Some 9,000 Acehnese have received a total of Rp
21 billion (about US$2.3 million) in state aid as compensation
for the violence they endured during decades of fighting between
Aceh rebels and government forces, a local official said on
Tuesday.

Aceh's head of the People and Nation's Protection Body,
Syarifuddin Latief, said his office had registered about 11,000
victims and so far 9,000 of them had received aid, he said.

Each victim, or the family of deceased victims, is entitled to
Rp 3 million in diyat (compensation).

The money, being provided by the provincial and central
governments, is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the
recipients, Syarifuddin said.

The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has been fighting for
independence for the natural resource-rich province since 1976.
About 10,000 people have died in the conflict. A peace accord
signed by GAM and the Indonesian government last year has raised
hopes of a lasting peace. -- Antara