Acehnese trace missing relatives via 'Suara Muhammadiyah' radio

Ruslan Sangadji, Band Aceh

"You are listening to Radio Komunitas Suara Muhammadiyah 107,6 FM. We are presenting an update on missing persons ..."

From a 12-square-meter room on the second floor of a building at Muhammadiyah University here, radio newscaster Rahmadi M. Sani read out on Tuesday a list of missing persons, compiled from reports filed by members of the public.

With the operation of this Radio Komunitas Suara Muhammadiyah (Voice of Muhammadiyah Community Radio) since Friday, Acehnese people have a new medium to trace missing relatives.

Ahmad Husaini, 37, a resident of Lueng Bata, Banda Aceh, said he found Suara Muhammadiyah by chance. "When I turned my radio on, I could find no station except Radio Suara Muhammadiyah."

"Now I often listen to it. My favorite program is an Islamic program," he said.

But not all Acehnese know about the radio station, such as Muhammad Syarif, 24. "I rarely listen to the radio. It's good if the station is on air," he said.

Suara Muhammadiyah is one of the radio stations people can now turn to since the tsunami disaster on Dec. 26.

Before the tsunami, there were 16 radio stations in Banda Aceh, including Radio Nikoya 106 FM, Radio Flamboyan 105.2 FM and Radio Baiturrahman 98.8 FM, but many of them were affected by the disaster.

Radio Suara Muhammadiyah went on air after receiving equipment from Jakarta-based Kantor Berita Radio 68H, which provides radio wire news services.

The equipment provided includes one mixer, one computer, one transmitter, one satellite dish and one generator, as well as 40 radios.

"We distributed all 40 radios to various refugee camps in Banda Aceh and surrounding areas," said Rahmadi.

According to Radio 68H director Santoso, his radio station provides technical assistance and equipment for Suara Muhammadiyah, Muhammadiyah -- the country's second largest Muslim organization -- supplies the manpower and the Asia Foundation supplies the funding.

Rahmadi said his station focused on humanitarian programs. It has only five programs per day -- news, information on missing persons, health information, counseling and religious programs.

The missing persons program has attracted the most attention. Every day, Rahmadi said, about 10 people go to the studio to request that the names of their missing relatives be announced.

The radio has two time slots for missing persons: at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. No money exchanges hands for announcements.

"We currently only have public service ads and they are all free. We don't have any commercial ads," Rahmadi said.