Transmigrants go on hunger strike

Five transmigrants who fled restive Aceh spent the second successive day on hunger strike at the provincial legislative council building here on Friday.

They were among hundreds of people who have been staging rallies over the past week to demand that the central government relocate 11,000 transmigrants in Aceh from refugee camps in North Sumatra and provide Rp 10 million in financial assistance for each family.

One of the protesters, Marlan, lies helplessly as fellow displaced people encourage him. He complained on Friday of a stomach cramps.

The people said they were convinced more of there fellow refugees would join the hunger strike.

"Today there are five more people who have stated their intention of joining the hunger strike. I believe hundreds of us will follow suit on Monday," Himanuddin, the strike coordinator from the Aceh Refugees Forum, told The Jakarta Post.

Apart from Marlan, 46, from East Aceh, the hunger strikers comprise Jumadi, 54, Sumardi, 48, both also from East Aceh, Jumat, 62, from North Aceh, and Sarmat, 47, from Aceh Singkil.

They stopped eating at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

"I have gone on hunger strike without my family knowing about it and completely voluntarily," Jumat said.

He planned to continue the hunger strike if the government ignored the people's demand to be resettled outside the conflict- torn Aceh. --JP