Govt reopens door for foreigners in Aceh

Govt reopens door for foreigners in Aceh

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has eased its restrictions against foreigners in
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam by allowing five international
organizations to resume their humanitarian activities in the war-
ravaged province.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Tuesday that the selected groups
were the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World
Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Education, Social and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF).

Susilo emphasized that the new policy was part of "the
government's intention to boost transparency and accountability"
during the "integrated operations", which have been in place in
Aceh for over seven months to quell three decades of armed
rebellion.

The government had also allowed the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) to resume its operation in Aceh.

"We have given room to these five international organizations.
We will consider allowing (other foreign institutions) to resume
their operations in line with the improvement in security
conditions in Aceh," he publicly announced after leading a
security meeting at his office here.

The meeting was attended by, among others, Coordinating
Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, Minister of Foreign
Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of National Education Abdul
Malik Fajar, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Endriartono
Sutarto, Attorney General M.A. Rachman and Commander of Military
operations in Aceh Maj. Gen. Endang Suwarya.

Weeks after the May 19 martial law was declared, the
government issued tough regulations to curb the presence of
foreigners, including journalists and organizations in Aceh,
virtually closing the province to independent scrutiny.

The restrictions came after two German tourists were shot by
the military, one of them dead, two weeks after Jakarta imposed
martial law.

Indonesia has come under persistent pressure from
international rights groups for banning foreign observers from
Aceh, which has turned the major offensive against rebels into a
secret war.

UNICEF spokesperson here, Kendartanti, said the organization
would continue their activities in Aceh, which had been postponed
due to the restrictions.

"We are focusing on education and health. We have provided
tents for emergency schools, medicines and school equipment," she
said.

When the government banned foreigners from Aceh, UNICEF
foreign officers abandoned the conflict-torn province. However,
the organization maintained its Indonesian representatives there.

The old policy allowed foreign aid workers to stay in the
province for 14 days and a maximum extension of 30 days depending
on the approval of the martial law administration.

Susilo said that the government had considered an improvement
in the extended period of martial law in Aceh, but needed to
"sharpen" it.

He said the government would set up special teams to monitor
the ongoing integrated operation in Aceh to ensure that it met
its target, particularly on budget spending.

"Many students and NGOs there have complained about misuse of
government funds," he said, saying that teams would be posted in
the central government and in the provincial government.

The teams, to consist of government and independent persons,
would have no authority but to advise either the government or
the military administration on possible moves to tackle misuse of
funds during the operations.

Susilo added that the government is also considering whether
to allow international election monitors to work in Aceh for the
upcoming elections, as required by the General Elections
Commission (KPU).

"We have to be careful about which NGOs are allowed to monitor
the elections in Aceh. We must be sure that they are there only
to monitor the elections and not to do other things that provoke
Acehnese to demand a referendum, which is considered a crime
against the state," he warned.

Susilo claimed that the military administration in Aceh would
not disrupt the free elections in the province, despite concerns
from several observers.

"The military is neutral, the military chief has repeatedly
said that," he said.