Acehnese refugee plight worsening, say officials
JAKARTA (JP): Officials in Banda Aceh have raised concerns over the deteriorating conditions among refugees which have reached some 140,000 people in Pidie, North Aceh and East Aceh.
Aceh's secretary to the governor, Sofyan Muchtar, told Antara on Saturday, "Their health is getting worse due to inadequate sanitary facilities and lack of clean water."
Last week, estimates of refugees had reached almost 100,000, excluding those at new camps. Refugees citing fears of armed assaults in their villages have been accommodated around mosques and school buildings.
Head of Aceh's Ministry of Health office, Hanif Asmara, said most refugees suffered from high fever and others were exposed to respiratory diseases as well as diarrhea and cholera.
"What's worse, many refugees here are also suffering from malnutrition," Hanif told the news agency.
Antara reported the mosque grounds in Meureudu, Pidie, and Kuta Binjai, East Aceh, as among the shelters with the worst conditions. According to last estimates, Pidie alone has 14 shelters housing 60,000 people.
Since a massive exodus began in June, thousands of hectares of cultivated land and cattle have been abandoned.
The administration has called on the public to help contribute education material, books, paper and pencils.
According to Aceh's Ministry of Education office, at least 16,005 elementary students have joined the exodus -- 7,390 from Pidie, 2,233 from North Aceh and 6,382 from East Aceh.
The news agency also reported that so far, 104 families have fled to South Sumatra, Riau and East Kalimantan.
Meanwhile, two companies of combat troops stationed in Aceh's Teuku Umar regiment command were withdrawn on Friday.
Teuku Umar military spokesman First Lt. Supriono, said here on Saturday that the 200 officers were sent back to their barracks aboard a Hercules C-130 plane taking off from the Iskandar Muda airport here.
The troops were assigned two months ago to maintain security in Aceh, particularly in West Aceh and South Aceh regencies, before and after the June 7 general election.
Last week 440 police members arrived in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, and police said that 7,000 soldiers would be added to act against armed groups.
Antara also reported that a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, Syaifuddin Bantasyam, urged on Saturday that a new independent team set up to investigate alleged abuses in Aceh immediately probe the military operation in Beutong Ateuh, West Aceh, which has claimed at least 52 lives. The operation targeted an alleged separatist leader, Tengku Bantaqiah, and his followers, and survivors and witnesses said the men were gunned down. The military has said it opened fire in self-defense. Bantaqiah, noted leader of a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) was among those killed.
Of the 10 bodies found last week in a ravine, a number of them were buried on Sunday, a journalist with the Serambi Indonesia daily in Banda Aceh said.
"It rained hard and not all could be buried," the journalist said quoting a community leader, Razali. Last week, residents who intended to bury the bodies fled at the sight of passing troops.
In Pidie, a journalist said people were stocking up on supplies in anticipation of a strike on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, which has been called by the Association of Public Transport Owners, Organda, students and non-governmental organizations.
However, a Pelangi inter-city bus company employee and drivers from other firms said that as of Sunday they had not received instructions from their management to join the strike. (05/byg/edt/har)