Fear has two faces for survivors

Fear has two faces for survivors

This is the last of three articles about Lampuuk, which was once
a popular weekend spot for Banda Aceh residents but has been left
virtually deserted as its surviving residents shelter in camps at
Lham Lhom following the tsunami. The Jakarta Post's Nani Afrida
toured the area, interviewed the displaced people and prepared
these articles.

Surviving Lampuuk villagers currently staying in Lham Lhom camp
have undergone more suffering than most people will ever have to
bear. First, from the disaster and the slow arrival of aid and
second, from the continuing armed conflict between the military
and the separatist movement in Aceh.

Unlike other refugee camps, the location of Lham Lhom camp is
quite difficult to reach, and thus only a handful of volunteer
groups could deliver food, water and other emergency assistance
to them. Consequently, they have often run out of supplies.

"We did not choose to stay at this place. We were brought here
by the tsunami itself," Zul, 35, told The Jakarta Post. The
distance between Lampuuk and Lham Lhom is about five kilometers.

Though they have already endured the unimaginable, the Lampuuk
people continue to live in fear as gunshots sound and some of
their fellow survivors have allegedly been murdered.

When The Jakarta Post, escorted by the displaced people,
visited Lampuuk village, where Lampuuk mosque still stands amid
ruins, a number of gunshots were heard.

"Only three days after the tsunami, five of our fellow
refugees were shot dead by security forces," said Odi, not his
real name.

No one at the camp was willing to talk about the incident.
They only confirmed that five of their fellow displaced people
had been shot dead.

According to sources, the five victims were Andri, Abubakar,
Basyir, Ridwan and Ardi.

The sources said that the five had traveled to their destroyed
village of Lampuuk to save whatever they could, including a
motorcycle. On their way, they met security forces, who allegedly
killed them all.

"Lampuuk refugees were even asked to bury the five victims,
who were accused to be (by the security forces) GAM members, but
they were not, they were just refugees like us," Odi said.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) confirmed the incident, but said
that only two people were shot dead, and both were members of the
separatist Free Aceh Movement, which had tried to intervene
against TNI's humanitarian operation in the area.

The military is now tightening security in the area,
reportedly for fear that GAM members could infiltrate camps and
divert the influx of assistance into their cause.

Since that incident, no Lampuuk people have dared to return to
their home village to see what remains of their houses and to try
to retrieve the corpses still buried under the debris.

"They (the TNI and GAM) have no feelings. We are suffering
from this disaster and still mourning our dead relatives, but
they continue with their armed conflict," said one displaced
person who refused to be identified.