Acehnese involvement vital

Acehnese involvement vital

MEDAN, North Sumatra: The state government must do something to
involve the Acehnese in its rebuilding and reconstruction
programs, a group of activists said on Tuesday.

Speaking after a meeting in Medan, Naimah Hasan, the
spokeswoman of the 12-group NGO coalition, said that the
involvement of the Acehnese was a must if the programs were to
best fit the needs of the people.

Problems were already being caused because of a lack of
coordination, she said.

The central government had already insisted it built refugee
shelters further inland because it feared the return of tsunami,
while many of the refugees would prefer shelters built near
coastal areas where they could make a living as fishermen, she
said. -- JP