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