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