Govt spends Rp 1.4t on Aceh humanitarian pause

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): The government has allocated Rp 1.4 trillion (US$155 million) to finance the implementation of the Joint Understanding on Humanitarian Pause in Aceh, Acting Governor Ramli Ridwan said on Monday.

"The fund would be disbursed in August," Ramli said.

The "pause" was an agreement signed by the Indonesian government and the armed Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and took effect in June. While it is not an official call for a cease-fire, the agreement requires both sides to the conflict to permit humanitarian aid to reach refugees.

The central government in Jakarta will provide Rp 600 billion while the remaining Rp 800 billion will come from the provincial administration's budget, Ramli said.

The fund will be spent mainly on rehabilitating public facilities that have been damaged during the unrest.

"I also hope that the fund will be used to improve the people's social and economic lives, such as pushing for agricultural development in West Aceh," he said.

Ramli also warned of attempts by third parties to disturb the peace during the three-month humanitarian pause.

Muhammad Yus, chairman of the Aceh legislative council, protested at the decision by the local administration to finance most of the programs during the humanitarian pause.

"Why can't the administration look for other sources? The decision will disrupt ongoing projects in Aceh," Yus said.

Meanwhile, in another sign of violations of the "humanitarian pause", two men were killed in the latest armed clashes between GAM and the police in Beutong district in West Aceh on Saturday.

Police identified the two victims as 20-year-old Muslim and 24-year-old Ali Akbar.

GAM spokesman Abu Hananan in West Aceh, however, said the two victims were civilians and that "there no exchange of fire took place".

In Banda Aceh, police arrested two of the five gunmen who tried to extort money from public works officials on Monday.

"We have identified three others who fled the scene. The two culprits, Zaini Bakri, 25 and Surya, 22, claimed themselves to be members of GAM in Meurohom Daya in West Aceh," Supt. Sayed Hoesaini of Aceh Besar Police said.

At least 69 people have died since the signing of the peace accord between Jakarta and GAM on May 12 in Geneva. Of these, 37 were killed since the pause came into force on July 1. (50/edt)