Govt to disburse resettlement funds
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra
The central government has promised to immediately disburse the remaining resettlement funds for over 4,350 migrant families who fled conflict-torn Aceh to North Sumatra.
Spokesman for the North Sumatra administration Eddy Syofian announced that Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah had called Governor T. Rizal Nurdin concerning the planned disbursement of the funds, which had been suspended following alleged embezzlement of some of the total fund.
"The remaining funds will be transferred as soon as possible," Eddy quoted Rizal as saying on the sidelines of the governor's presentation of his accountability speech before the provincial legislature.
Bachtiar, however, did not set a specific date for the transfer of the funds, which amount to Rp 38.2 billion (US$4.3 million). Each family is entitled to Rp 8.75 million under the government humanitarian aid program.
Around 600 of the disgruntled families have been camping out on the compounds of the legislature and the gubernatorial office over the past two weeks to demand the disbursement of the funds.
In a bid to mount pressure on the government, hundreds of protesters blocked access to Polonia Airport and tried to force their way onto an airplane destined for Jakarta to meet with Bachtiar on Wednesday. The human roadblock lasted about six hours before police dispersed the protesters.
On Thursday, 500 refugees rallied at the legislature to air their demands, with 48 of them going on a hunger strike. Fourteen on the strike are women.
The rally did not disrupt the plenary session to hear Rizal's accountability speech, however.
A refugee assigned to monitor the strike, Renold Ginting, said the move was a final attempt to force the government to heed their demands.
"We are on a hunger strike at our own freewill. We have not manipulated this move," Renold, who hails from Medan, said.
The hunger strikers come from all Aceh regencies, with Mijem being the oldest at 77 years old and Sugianto the youngest at 24.
Mijem, a women demonstrator, said she could endure the hunger strike for three days.
"For the sake of our struggle, I will join the strike until the government complies with our demand," she said.
A fellow protester, Erna, 32, of Central Java, said she had joined the strike as she was frustrated by the government's indecisiveness.
"We are fed up with trying to claim our right to the resettlement funds. Both the central and provincial governments have apparently washed their hands of this matter," said Erna, who has been staying in the North Sumatra regency of Langkat for two years since leaving Aceh.
She said she would use the government aid to pay her debts and run a business.
Provincial administration spokesman Eddy said the social affairs minister had insisted that the police thoroughly investigate the alleged embezzlement of the funds prior to disbursement.
The minister, Eddy said, asked the police to announce all the suspects in the case.
Police have named 16 suspects in the Rp 2 billion scandal, including the head of North Sumatra's Binjai social affairs agency, Syamsul Bahri.
The provincial government has handed over funds for 7,643 families.