Govt set to evacuate 200,000 Acehnese from conflict areas

Sari P. Setiogi and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As conflict in Aceh looks to intensify following the declaration of martial law, the government has prepared itself for the evacuation of up to 200,000 people from war zones to minimize possible civilian casualties.

A Cabinet minister said the evacuation was needed in order to separate civilians from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighters when security troops came in.

"We are waiting for an order from the military administration should they want to comb a certain area in searches for rebels, we will move the local people from their homes," Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah said on Monday.

The first area where evacuation will take place is Bireuen regency, where large scale battles are expected.

The minister said that currently the number of internally displaced persons in Aceh stood at around 12,000, most of whom were staying in Bireuen.

Martial law was imposed in Aceh late on Sunday night after the peace talks between the government and GAM in Tokyo on Sunday collapsed.

Along with the military operation, the government said it had launched a humanitarian operation in the natural resource-rich province.

Bachtiar, the minister in charge of the humanitarian side, said the government would set up 82 temporary camps across the province, mostly in and around Banda Aceh, Lhokseumawe and East Aceh regencies.

For that purpose 4,000 military tents will be erected for the refugees.

Six hospitals are also being prepared to treat possible war victims and refugees in Aceh, said Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi.

The hospitals are located in the towns of Langsa, Banda Aceh, Bireuen, Lhokseumawe and Meulaboh.

Sujudi said medical workers had also been prepared to support the hospitals, if local paramedics no longer were able to handle the situation.

Bachtiar said that the government had sent 500 tons of rice along with other basic needs for the expected increase in refugees, such as blankets, mattress and other food.

"The assistance is placed in East Aceh, North Aceh, Pidie, Aceh Besar, South Aceh and Bireuen, as we expect a large number of evacuees from those regencies." he said.

To support the distribution of the aid, the state ministry for social welfare had appointed 600 volunteers in those regencies, Bachtiar said.

Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla said that the government had allocated Rp 400 billion (US$47million) -- 50 percent from both the central government budged and 50 percent from Aceh's provincial budget -- to provide food, shelter, health services and education for the evacuees.

"By early May, we will have sent Rp 114 billion to Aceh, and only Rp 40 billion has been disbursed so far," he said.