Acehnese demand greater public participation

Acehnese demand greater public participation

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

A group of people, claiming to be representatives of the Aceh
people, stepped up pressure on the government on Monday to review
its blueprint on post-tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction
of Aceh.

During a meeting in Medan, they also voiced demands for
greater public participation in the development of the blueprint,
slated to be made public by the middle of March.

"The government has missed many points in the making of the
blueprint. The blueprint has to be reviewed," said Achmad Humam
Hamid, chairman of Aceh Recovery Forum Action Committee, during a
seminar held by the Aceh Recovery Forum in Medan.

The two-day seminar was attended by some 270 people including
Muslim ulema, scholars, students, businessmen, non-governmental
organization (NGO) activists and victims of the tsunami.

According to Hamid, the blueprint failed to live up to
people's expectation because it did not involve the people of
Aceh in the rehabilitation and reconstruction projects.

The government had thus treated Acehnese as objects, instead
of subjects, of the programs.

Muslim Ibrahim, chief of Aceh's Ulema Consultative Assembly,
said that the government's rehabilitation and reconstruction plan
did not emphasize Islamic culture. "There is too much emphasis on
Indonesian secular culture in the blueprint", he said.

"This development model goes against the culture of Acehnese,
which has long been known as a religious community. I doubt that
Acehnese will accept the blueprint when it is launched in March,"
said Muslim.

Aceh ulema had earlier put similar demands to the government
in Banda Aceh, but it seemed that they were being ignored, said
Muslim.

Meanwhile, director of True Partners of Indonesian Women,
Syarifah Rachmatillah, said that, in general, the blueprint
failed to promote women's concerns in Aceh.

The blueprint does not mention the construction of facilities
that support women in carrying out public activities, such as
women's prayer gatherings.

The government should have included plans to build small
mosques that allow women to conduct such public prayers, said
Syarifah, who is also a member of Aceh provincial General
Elections Commission (KPU).

The blueprint also failed to clearly understand the roles of
women in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh.

Despite the protests, a government official said in defense
that the government was still open to public participation in the
development of the blueprint.

Tatag Wiranto, deputy chief of the National Planning and
Development Body (Bappenas), said that the government was open to
all input. All the input will be discussed on March 11 and 13 in
Bogor, before the blueprint is presented to President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono on March 15.

Tatag, deputy chief for regional autonomy and regional
development at Bappenas, said that the rehabilitation and
reconstruction projects will cost the state between Rp 40
trillion and Rp 50 trillion over five years. The money will come
from donors and the state budget, he said.

The money will be used to finance the construction of public
facilities and housing, among other things, said Tatag.