Foreigners in Aceh to get 14-day visa extension

Foreigners in Aceh to get 14-day visa extension

The Indonesian government on Sunday extended visas for foreign humanitarian workers in disaster-hit zones by a fortnight as it reviewed its post-tsunami reconstruction operations.

Alwi Shihab, the vice-chairman of the national disaster relief agency, said that the 14-day extension could be obtained in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh, and in Medan, capital of North Sumatra province.

During the 14 days, the government said it would consider application forms submitted by foreign aid organizations working in Aceh, devastated by the December 26 tsunami, and on the island in Nias, hit by a subsequent earthquake.

All foreign organizations and agencies have had to give detailed reports of their activities to the government which would decide whether the visas will be extended.

"The government continues to welcome and appreciate the assistance of foreign humanitarian organizations and is currently reviewing their activities to improve coordination and minimize duplication of efforts while still ensuring that the needs of the communities are being met," Shihab said.

Aceh was hardest hit by the December earthquake and tsunamis that killed over 220,000 people and caused widespread destruction.

Nias was struck by a massive earthquake on March 28 that killed at least 900 people.

Aceh has been under a state of emergency since May 2004 that bars foreigners from the staunchly Muslim province where the Indonesian government is striving to end a 29-year separatist rebellion. -- AFP