Poor sanitation forces Aceh refugees to return home

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Poor sanitation and health services have forced thousands of Acehnese refugees to return home, in spite of uncertain security conditions.

As many as 3,000 Acehnese who took refuge in Bireun regency had to return to Pedanda and Jeumpa villages on Saturday despite the threat of an impending military operation in the province.

They were part of the 11,500 residents from seven nearby villages who had sought refuge in Bang Badeh camp and the Bireun Grand Mosque since May 12, due to the deteriorating security in their villages.

Several refugees, mostly children and the elderly, suffered from diarrhea and colds in the camps.

Over 10,000 people have fled their homes to cities in North Sumatra and Riau in the past two weeks in anticipation of a full- scale armed conflict between government troops and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

The government has started deploying more troops to the troubled province to quash GAM, which has been fighting for independence for the resource-rich province since 1976. Over 10,000 Acehnese are believed to have been killed in skirmishes between the two sides.

Rizal Jibro, head of the Bireun Social Agency, was quoted by Antara as saying that the relatively favorable security condition of recent days had lured the refugees back to their villages.

"We would continue to support them in returning to their villages so they can work as usual to meet their daily needs," he said on Saturday.

He expressed the hope that all refugees would be able to return to their homes soon.

A volunteer with the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) said that the refugees had decided to go home due to unfavorable living conditions in the camps.

Meanwhile, as many as 53 families fled their homes in Sei Krukut and Daman villages in Aceh Tamiang regency following attacks by unidentified groups.

Several homes in the village were destroyed and burnt, while a resident, identified as S. Arabius, who is an employee of state- owned oil and gas company Pertamina, was kidnapped. His fate remains unknown.

It has been reported that the villagers have sought shelter at several mosques in the regency's capital.

Authorities could not be reached for confirmation.

On Saturday afternoon, the government and GAM held talks in Tokyo, Japan, in a last-ditch bid to salvage the peace in Aceh. Facilitated by the Japanese government, the meeting was held following increasing pressure from international donors on both the government and GAM.

GAM earlier refused to hold the talks in Tokyo, arguing that it was not a neutral venue.

The meeting almost failed to take place following the arrest of five GAM negotiators on Friday in Banda Aceh as they were preparing to depart for Tokyo. The GAM leadership in Sweden, including Swedish citizens Hasan Tiro and Abdullah Zaini, threatened to cancel the meeting if the negotiators were not present, but later recanted and only demanded their release.

The five, who were charged under the new law on terrorism, were released at about 6:45 p.m. in Banda Aceh, said Aceh Police Chief Insp. Gen. Bahrumsyah.

"We arrested them because they did not inform us about their intention to leave Aceh," he said, denying suggestions that the arrests were made to hamper the talks.

The negotiators were earlier arrested on terror charges, and are currently under city arrest.