Activists warn of the plight of child refugees in Aceh

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Children's Welfare Foundation (YKAI) urged people on Saturday not to forget the suffering of thousands of child refugees in Aceh, who accompanied their parents and adult relatives fleeing tension and violence in their hometowns.

YKAI's vice chairman Wisaksono Noeradi called on non- governmental organizations and other private parties to help the children and their parents because most Acehnese people would be wary and hesitant about receiving humanitarian aid from the government.

"People in Aceh tend to reject aid channeled by the government," said Wisaksono after meeting with President B.J. Habibie at Bina Graha presidential office along with foundation chairwoman Lily L. Rilantono, businesswoman Shanti L. Poesposoetjipto and foundation member Wagiono Soenarto.

"I hope their suffering opens our eyes so we all become willing to help, providing a sort of social safety net program for them," he said.

During the meeting, the President officially launched a website created by the foundation to mark the foundation's 20th anniversary.

Lily said there was an urgent need to establish a rescue program for children in troubled provinces like Aceh, East Timor, Maluku and West Kalimantan. Children in Aceh, however, need special attention due to the worsening situation and lack of attention to the province, she noted.

"This is a very serious social problem," said the physician.

According to the foundation, at least 6,000 Acehnese children live in refugee camps near the provincial border with North Sumatra province.

It also said that many children were killed or badly injured during recent clashes between the military and alleged Acehnese separatists.

It also cited a report of North Aceh regent which said that eight children, aged between six and 17, were killed on May 3 in Lhokseumawe, while 22 children were seriously injured.

It added that about 20,000 children lost their fathers during the nine years of military operations in the province until August 1998.

"Although there is still no official data on child victims, it is estimated that many children have become victims and are traumatized by the violence," it said.

School

Tens of thousands of Acehnese people and Javanese transmigrants from North Aceh, East Aceh, Pidie and West Aceh were recently forced to leave their villages following escalating military operations to crack down on alleged Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels in the regencies.

Langkat Regent Syamsul Arifin, where many of the refugees are temporarily sheltered, has allowed children to enter state schools despite not having any personal documents.

"They must continue their education despite their difficult life," Pos Kota daily quoted the regent as saying last week.

The independent Commission of Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said on Thursday about 60,000 refugees needed international aid because the government and private parties in the country were not providing them with sufficient help.

Chairman of the National Convention for Children's Rights Seto Mulyadi said the military operations and rioting in the province had traumatized children there, and without intervention the affected children would continue to bear a grudge.

Acehnese people's deep trauma over the rampant violence in their province was apparently reflected last week by their enthusiasm to visit a photograph exhibition of the military operations.

According to Antara, thousands of people screamed hysterically when they saw exhibited pictures of tortured victims.

The exhibition at the Geunta Plaza, near Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in the capital of Banda Aceh, had to be closed one day earlier on Saturday as the organizers were worried about the emotional effect it was having on visitors.

"We (are concerned) about the worst possibility," said Yarmen Dinamika, who organized the exhibition. Later on Saturday, however, the exhibition was reopened because of strong public demand including from visitors from outside the capital.

Acehnese painters, meanwhile, began a painting exhibition on Saturday in Banda Aceh. They will donate all the money from sales to help refugees, especially children.

A.A. Manggeng, one of the painters, said they would also hold a fund-raising campaign for the purpose. He said he was confident that the Acehnese would be ready to donate for the sake of the children.(prb)