Thousands of Aceh students may miss national exams

Thousands of Aceh students may miss national exams

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Despite the peace accord, thousands of Acehnese students in
Bireuen may not be able to sit national examinations in May
because they have been forced to abandon their villages due to
the worsening security situation in the regency.

So far, 23 elementary and junior high schools in the regency
have closed as the students and many of the teachers have taken
refuge following the establishment of new security posts and
frequent clashes between security personnel and rebels in the
last two months.

More than 9,000 people, mostly from Keudeu July district, have
fled their homes. Some are sheltering at the Jamiek Grand Mosque
in the capital town of Bireuen, while others have fled the region
altogether.

A further 500 families from Central Aceh have also taken
refuge for two months in Banda Aceh, following the rampant
intimidation and terror launched by rebels and security personnel
following riots in the province early last month.

Two elderly refugees have died in Zainoel Abidin General
Hospital in the city.

The chief of the local education office in Bireuen, Abdul
Wahab Ismail, confirmed the new wave of refugees and said this
would raise new problems for the upcoming national exams.

"We are seeking to establish new tents and buildings near
where the students and their parents are taking refugee, to
provide classes for the students so they can participate in the
national exams," he said.

Bireuen regency legislative council deputy chairman Syamaun
Arifin regretted the worsening situation, saying the local
administration would give serious attention to the refugee
problem, that could effect the peace agreement in the province.

He said that after visiting refugees, the local administration
would provide humanitarian aid, especially food and medicine, to
help the refugees survive.

"The refugees' condition is sorrowful. The rainy season brings
more difficulties," he said, adding that medical staff from the
public health center and the local chapter of the Indonesian Red
Cross (PMI) were seeing between 250 patients and 300 patients
everyday.

He said hundreds of refugees were suffering from diarrhea,
coughing, malaria, fever and skin diseases. Many were undergoing
intensive treatment at the Dr Fauziah General Hospital in
Bireuen.

Several refugees said they were too scared to return home.

Bireuen is one of eight regencies considered strongholds of
the free Aceh Movement (GAM). The others are Aceh Besar, North
Aceh, Aceh Pidie, East Aceh, West Aceh, Aceh Singkil and Central
Aceh.

Governor Abdulla Puteh conceded on Monday that 30 percent of
people in the regencies had rejected the government.

So far, both local security authorities and GAM have yet to
comply with the five-month demilitarization program that started
on Feb. 9.

Furthermore, GAM has intensified its 'tax' collection from the
people to recruit new members and purchase weapons while security
personnel have extorted motorists, causing unrest among the
people.