Activists warn of the plight of child refugees in Aceh

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)