Rp 100 billion allocated for rehabilitation program in Aceh

Rp 100 billion allocated for rehabilitation program in Aceh

JAKARTA (JP): At least Rp 100 billion has been allocated by
the Aceh provincial administration for a rehabilitation program
during the humanitarian pause in the strife-torn territory.

Spokesman for the Aceh administration Teuku Pribadi said on
Saturday that the rehabilitation program would replace
development projects funded by the state and provincial budgets.

"We have revised the projects and reallocated funds for the
more urgent humanitarian pause," Teuku told Antara on Saturday.

He said the fund was expected to increase because at least 50
percent from the provincial budget of Rp 250 billion for this
fiscal year was to be reallocated to the rehabilitation program.
Approval from Jakarta is needed, he said, because some of the
money comes from the central government.

The rehabilitation program will cover cultivation of
foodstuff, education, health, housing and resettlement.

Pribadi said the programs should start immediately as the
humanitarian pause would end in 45 days.

The joint understanding on a three-month humanitarian pause
was signed by representatives of the Indonesian government and
the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on May 12. After an evaluation, it
could be extended for another three months.

The objectives of the pause include delivery of humanitarian
assistance to Acehnese affected by the conflict and the provision
of security modalities to support relief operations and reduce
overall tension.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty
Eradication Basri Hasanuddin requested the United Nation
Development Program (UNDP) on Friday to organize international
aid for Aceh.

Without unveiling the sum of aid commitment, UNDP
representative in Indonesia Ravi Rajan told Basri that a number
of countries wish to help the Acehnese.

Basri and his entourage, along with UNDP project officers,
will fly to Aceh on July 14 to hand the aid over to the Acehnese
to rebuild the province's infrastructure.

Abduction

Despite the implementation of the humanitarian pause, arrest
and abduction cases remain rampant.

Some 70 women from the Meurah Mulia district in North Aceh
took to the streets in the regency capital of Lhokseumawe on
Friday to protest what they called the arbitrary arrest of three
neighbors.

"They're not (members of) GAM so why arrest them!" Aisyah Amin
cried in front of the North Aceh Police Headquarters.

M. Daud Jalil, 45, Abdullah Usman, 38, and Muliadi Cut Ali,
27, were nabbed by patrolling police on Thursday.

Head of the North Aceh Police Supt. Syafei Aksal said the
three men were apprehended for running from security officers and
for possessing a pair of handcuffs.

Meanwhile in Banda Aceh, 22 people, mostly women, protested at
the headquarters of the Joint Committee for the Humanitarian
Pause at the Kuala Tripa Hotel, demanding the whereabouts of
missing relatives allegedly kidnapped by disputing parties.

The Indonesian representative in the joint committee, Col.
Sulaiman AB, told the protesters that the committee would help
find the missing people.

The Aceh Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras) and Banda Aceh Legal Aid Institute (LBH)
announced 37 people had been abducted since the humanitarian
pause was signed. The majority of cases, numbering 27, were
conducted by security personnel. (09/10/49)