Remains of tsunami victims being relocated for proper burial

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

As Ramadhan draws near, local leaders are excavating hundreds of graves scattered in Leupung district, Aceh Besar regency here and relocating their remains in a big cemetery in the district.

"Besides making it easier for the families to pay their respects to the dead on particular occasions as is done a few days before Ramadhan starts, the relocation is also aimed at providing a proper burial," said Usman Banta, a respected figure in Leupung district. Usman said that animals had dug up a good number of graves.

Usman believes that there are thousands of graves containing the remains of tsunami victims in various places in the district. Before the tsunami disaster swept the district in December last year, the district was inhabited by 8,700 people, but now there are only some 2,000 people left.

A total of 226 remains have been relocated since early September and the relocation is being carried out by a team of 15 Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) volunteers from East Aceh regency, supported by local residents. They are unpaid and work with minimal equipment, namely gloves.

Each day, the volunteers are able to dig up and relocate dozens of bodies, which earlier were buried on vacant land near beaches or paddy fields. The volunteers normally search for small poles, that mark the graves of tsunami victims. "It is a bit difficult to find the graves as the empty land is often inundated with water," said Jefri, a volunteer.

Some remains had been dug up by animals. The human remains have been destroyed by the animals so that the bones are scattered, making it difficult for volunteers to collect the bones, said Jefri. It will take a long time before all the remains could be pooled into the big cemetery. The PMI volunteers estimated that the remains of some 500 tsunami victims are buried in beach and hill areas, while another 2,000 are buried in empty land near paddy fields.

"Despite the challenges, we have to relocate them for proper burial. When all said and done, they are our brothers, sisters," said Usman.

The Ramadhan month will start in early October and according to tradition, Muslims visit the graves of relatives and pray a few days before Ramadhan begins.