ICRC in Irian Jaya

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