Indonesia told to open access to displaced persons

Indonesia told to open access to displaced persons

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A special envoy of the UN Secretary General has urged the
Indonesian government to open its doors to international
assistance to handle the problem of some 1.3 million people who
have been displaced by violence and conflict in the country.

Francis M. Deng, representative of the UN chief for internally
displaced persons (IDPs), concluded a one-week official visit to
Indonesia on Sept. 28, the UN office in Jakarta said Wednesday.

In his meetings with Indonesian officials, Deng stressed the
importance of addressing the situation in a comprehensive and
well coordinated manner at the central and local levels, it said.

"He encouraged the government to enhance the national response
to the internally displaced persons with the support of, and in
close collaboration with UN agencies, international and national
non-governmental organizations, and the donor community."

IDPs are not considered refugees by the United Nations and are
not entitled to the international assistance that refugees who
are officially categorized as such, receive.

In the case of Indonesia, only East Timorese who fled the
territory in the wake of violence in September 1999 are aided by
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

However, more than one million other Indonesians who have
recently fled violence in Aceh, Maluku, North Maluku, Kalimantan,
Central Sulawesi and Irian Jaya now face uncertainty with the
government in Jakarta, which is apparently too cash-strapped to
be able to provide the necessary assistance.

Deng met with a number of Indonesian officials, including Vice
President Hamzah Haz, who chairs the advisory board of the
Bakornas PBP, the agency charged with dealing with IDP issues.

Indonesia had also been reluctant to fully opening up access
for foreign aid workers to the camps of displaced people.

Addressing Jakarta's concerns, Deng, during his discussions
"emphasized his approach of respect for the sovereignty of the
state and the recognition that the crisis of internal
displacement falls within domestic jurisdiction," according to a
UN statement released to the media.

"However, he emphasized that rather than a concept of
barricading the country against the international community,
sovereignty should be regarded positively as a concept of state
responsibility for protecting and assisting citizens and all
those under state jurisdiction.

"The role of the international community is to assist the
states to discharge their responsibilities," it said.

Deng urged the government to engage in consultation with the
displaced persons, in particular to assess their needs and their
aspirations, paying attention to the needs of women and children.