Acehnese flee homes after peace deal
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh
Peace remains elusive in Aceh even after the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a landmark peace agreement on Dec. 9, 2002.
Despite their pledge to end all hostilities, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and GAM fighters have increasingly engaged in armed contact, forcing innocent civilians, who had put high hopes on the accord, to flee their homes.
Since Dec. 25, some 2,000 civilians have been taking refugee at the Bintang Hu primary school in Lhoksukon, North Aceh, due to prolonged armed contacts between TNI and GAM guerrillas.
The civilians also allege that TNI personnel threatened to kill them if they did not leave their homes.
"Previously, there were gunfights between TNI and GAM in our area but we stayed put. But TNI started threatening to kill us and burn our houses, so we decided to leave," said Sulaiman A.R., one of the refugees.
The presence of the refugees has deprived at least 500 students -- both students of Bintang Hu and the children of the refugees -- of schooling.
Sulaiman hoped that the Joint Security Committee (JSC), set up to monitor the implementation of the Dec. 9 peace agreement, would immediately handle their case.
The JSC includes representatives from the government, GAM and foreign observers under the Henry Dunant Centre, which facilitated the peace process.
Meanwhile, over 1,000 refugees occupying the Bagok Mosque in Nurussalam district, East Aceh, appealed for government assistance as their food stocks thin.
Teungku A. Djalil, 65, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that they were living in squalid tents with limited food supplies.
"Our food stock continues to decrease," said Djalil, head of the Mesjid villagers taking refuge at the mosque.
According to Djalil, they fled their village in Nurussalam district on Dec. 10, just one day after the government and GAM signed the peace agreement, to take refuge at the mosque, some 15 kilometers from their village.
They have been living in makeshift tents since then and counting on the generosity of local people and the non- governmental organization People Crisis Center to survive.
Djalil expressed disappointment over the fact that the government had given them no assistance.
"They (local administration) refused to supply us with low- price rice, let alone visit us," he said.
He also questioned the TNI's motive in attacking GAM after the signing of the peace accord.
Djalil said the refugees had expected a quick return to their village, but they so far had been unable to go home because TNI had established a post near their village.
"It means that armed conflict (between TNI and GAM) could happen at anytime," he said.
GAM has been fighting for independence for the resource-rich Aceh since 1976. Over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the armed conflicts.
Separately in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital of Aceh, Iskandar Muda Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf denied allegations that continued armed contacts between TNI and GAM fighters had forced thousands of Acehnese to flee their homes.
According to Djali, the refugees were engineered to discredit the military and undermine the peace agreement.
"If they were scared about gunfights between TNI and GAM, they could have fled their villages long ago. Why did they do it after the signing of the peace agreement?" he asked.
At least 23,000 families have fled Aceh in the past few years due to persistent violence in the country's westernmost province. The families, who are mostly Javanese migrants, have taken refuge in the neighboring North Sumatra province.