Acehnese refugees demand aid

MEDAN, North Sumatra: At least 4,000 Acehnese refugee families in North Sumatra are demanding that the government disburse a fund allocated for them.

M. Tohir S., leader of the refugees in the provincial capital of Medan, said on Monday at least 62 families were now mired in debt and are in dire need of the money promised to them.

"We are very disappointed with the provincial administration and plan to stage a protest and spend the night at the residence of the North Sumatra governor," Tohir told The Jakarta Post.

Chairman of the Aceh Refugee Forum Edy Gunawan Sirait said around 4,000 families languishing in camps in eight regencies and cities across North Sumatra had not received government aid.

The Ministry of Social Affairs last year pledged to provide them with Rp 105 billion (US$12.5 million). The refugees were supposed to receive Rp 8,750,000 per family.

Around 7,000 families had received the money but the remaining sum was reportedly held by the provincial administration.

North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin has said that the remainder would be transferred through Bank BRI but admitted that the aid had not reached some of the beneficiaries. --JP