ICRC in Irian Jaya

In your article titled Churches back calls for Irian Jaya independence published on Aug. 3, 1998, in the last paragraph it is stated that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had never received permission from the government to enter the province.

As a matter of fact, the ICRC has been present in Irian Jaya since 1988 when it monitored the repatriation of "border crossers" from Papua New Guinea to Irian Jaya. More recently, in the course of 1997 and 1998, the ICRC together with the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), conducted a relief operation for the victims of the drought and distributed more than 400 tons of food to the local population of the mountainous areas of Wamena and Mapnduma (Jayawijaya and Mimika regencies). Medical mass treatment of the population in more than 50 villages were carried out by the PMI-ICRC teams in order to reduce the epidemic of malaria ravaging the central mountains. In addition, the Red Cross distributed seeds and agricultural implements to help these communities regain self-sufficiency.

The ICRC is an independent humanitarian institution, which endeavors to bring assistance and protection worldwide to the victims of armed conflict and internal disturbances, including the victims of unrest in Irian Jaya.

The ICRC is thus concerned with the situation in the province and is ready to carry out its traditional activities like visits to people detained in connection with the tensions. Since the recent events of July 1998, the ICRC is in discussion with the concerned authorities of the Republic of Indonesia to gain access to the people in need of medical care and those still detained in connection with the unrest.

PIERRE GERBER

Deputy Head of ICRC

Regional Delegation in Jakarta