Aid agency halts work after attack on office
Aid agency halts work after attack on office
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan
An international aid agency helping tsunami victims in Aceh has
temporarily shut down operations after a group of youths
ransacked its Medan office on Wednesday because they had not won
an aid contract.
None of the staff from the International Organization for
Migration were seen working in the office, while a security
guard, Dedi Agus Saputra, reported that the office would resume
operations the coming Monday.
No staff were available for comment on Thursday.
IOM Medan had temporarily stopped sending food and medicine
aid to tsunami victims in Aceh because workers feared more
attacks on the office, Dedi said.
In anticipation of more violence, police sent officers to
guard the office.
Medan Police chief of detectives First. Insp. Taufik said
police would do their best to secure the IOM premises. Officers
had already arrested a 46-year-old man only identified by his
initials, "MDN", who was believed to have led the attack. Police
were tracking down five other suspects believed to be part of the
gang, Taufik said.
Taufik said "MDN" and the five were witnessed entering the IOM
office, smashing chairs, desks, computers and TV sets and causing
thousands of dollars worth of damage.
The group were apparently acting in retaliation after a bid
for a project linked to Aceh tsunami victims was turned down by
the NGO.
The group had proposed to the NGO they be given a contract to
channel food, medicine and clothing to tsunami victims in Aceh.
Dedi, the key witness, said the attack began when the group
entered the office in the morning asking to meet an IOM employee.
Failing to meet the employee, a few hours later they returned
at the IOM office. After talking with IOM employees about their
proposal and being informed it had been denied, the group smashed
up the office.
An IOM executive, Jose Al Manashe, a Filipino, called the
police but the perpetrators had already fled the scene before the
police arrived.
The attack on a foreign aid agency is the first in the city,
which has become the regional hub for aid distribution to Aceh.