Adoption in Aceh premature: Fauzi

Dedy Ardiansyah, Contributor/Medan

That fateful day, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, turned the year-end joy of the Acehnese people into a sad story of calamity, in which more than 100,000 lost their lives and hundreds of thousands were left as bereaved survivors, drawing sympathy the world over.

Hardly had the Acehnese been relieved of their grief arising from the military operation and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist rebellion, when the region was swept by quake-driven tsunami.

Fauzi Usman, chairman of the Aceh Sepakat community organization for ethnic Acehnese people based in Medan, North Sumatra, is a figure with an unusually great burden to bear. Elected to head the community only two months ago, now he has to perform the mission of rescuing an almost lost generation.

At his residence on Jl. Imam Banjol 42, Medan, where Aceh disaster victims who have lost their families are accommodated, Fauzi Usman gave an interview last week, which was frequently interrupted by phone calls and brief visits seeking his help.

Born in the remote village of Bereuneun, Sigli, Aceh Pidie regency, on March 6, 1953, the dark-skinned, sturdy man has three sons and a daughter from his marriage to Murshida, a native of Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra.

Fauzi is strict in educating his children, emphasizing openness and honesty. "He is very outspoken. If he doesn't like something, he will simply speak his mind," said his wife.

Known in Medan as a social figure, Fauzi started his career by setting up Radio Bonsita FM in 1970, with ensuing success in the broadcasting business.

Now under PT Bonsita FM, the venture has turned out 20 radio stations in North Sumatra and Aceh. He has served five periods as chairman of North Sumatra's National Association of Private Radio Broadcasters.

The childhood of this parachuting buff was not so memorable. When he was one year old, the rebellion of DI-TII (Islamic military dissidents) broke out, forcing the whole family to take refuge in Medan.

When the December quake shook Medan, Fauzi did not imagine the disaster would cause devastation on such a scale in Aceh, until he watched a TV report announcing thousands of deaths in Banda Aceh. Later he got a phone call from his relatives in the Aceh provincial capital to confirm the situation.

The role of Aceh Sepakat in this post-tsunami period is very crucial, particularly in its effort to protect the survivors of the catastrophe. The flow of internally displaced people coming by land, sea and air is so big that unless they are properly and promptly taken care of, the death toll will further increase.

It was also Aceh Sepakat that first warned against the adoption of Acehnese children by anybody of unclear origin.

Fauzi Usman and his organization moved fast enough, hence the government issued a policy permitting the adoption of the recently orphaned children by the Acehnese only.

"It's premature to talk about adoption. Aceh Sepakat has not decided on that yet. Lots of victims have yet to be saved and, who knows, some of them might be from the children's families. If they have lost their parents, their surviving relatives are the first party who are entitled to foster them," said Fauzi in a serious tone.

Fauzi wanted the orphans to be fostered by the Acehnese also because of the Acehnese people's unique traditions, customs and daily practices. This cultural difference will affect their psychological development in the hands of non-Acehnese.

"The Acehnese community has its own tradition and culture, characterized by family bonds and strong solidarity. It's not that easy to forget, even if three generations were lost in the calamity," maintained Fauzi.

Aceh Sepakat was founded in 1968. Initially, many Acehnese people in Medan set up Serikat Tolong Menolong, a mutual assistance association.

Subsequently, they were strongly motivated to unify the diverse ethnic Acehnese cultural elements under a body called Aceh Sepakat, to reflect concord among the Acehnese in the city.

Ureng udep, ureng mate is the motto of Aceh Sepakat, literally meaning "people live and die". It implies that this organization serves as a forum of the Acehnese in times of joy and sorrow. Now Aceh Sepakat has 25 branches in North Sumatra with its secretariat on Jl. Mengkara 2, Medan, and assets worth tens of billions of rupiah including schools, mosques, land, buildings and cemeteries.

Previously, Aceh Sepakat offered solutions to the government in an attempt to adopt cultural moves for the settlement of the armed conflict between GAM separatists and the Indonesian Military (TNI). Owing to its neutral position, said Fauzi, Aceh Sepakat was not pressured by any party.

The organization hopes that the tsunami-ravaged Banda Aceh, Lhokseumawe, Meulaboh and other areas will produce a momentum for the Acehnese community to rise from the murky history that has haunted the region, and rebuild Aceh with global support for the rescue of the remaining generation, without abandoning its culture and traditions.

"This is a lesson for the Indonesian nation, from which we learn how we have maintained our solidarity as our fellow citizens are experiencing misfortune. International support will also help us restore Aceh to its former state. We are grateful for the assistance," Fauzi concluded.