'Trauma center' set up for East Timorese children
'Trauma center' set up for East Timorese children
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission for Children's
Protection has set up a rehabilitation center to help East
Timorese children suffering from trauma in the East Nusa Tenggara
camps.
Called the "trauma center", the new non-governmental
organization will employ scores of psychiatrists and
psychologists to help the children overcome traumatic experiences
which resulted from rampaging violence and sexual abuse following
the announcement on Sept. 4 of the ballot results in East TImor.
"We just try to treat the children with affection, love and
attention, as well as collecting medicines, food and clothes from
donors," one of the center's administrators, Lusia Sutanto, told
Antara on Wednesday in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara.
Lusia said the center was jointly organized by the Lions Club
of Indonesia, the Santa Lusia Educational Foundation, the
National Commission for Children's Protection and the children
assistance-oriented Mutiara Foundation. Lusia chairs the first
two organizations.
The center is based in Atambua, which shares a border with
East Timor. The East Nusa Tenggara town hosted more than 200,000
refugees fleeing violence-ravaged East Timor after the
overwhelming rejection to Indonesia's autonomy offer.
Irwanto of the children's protection body said observations in
refugee camps in Belu and Kupang that took place between Oct. 30
and Nov. 2 revealed that male youths who were at puberty age were
prone to sexual assaults, either as victims or perpetrators.
Young women lacked protection from sexual harassment committed
by friends of the same age and adults around the camps, Irwanto
said.
"Witnesses said a group of parents were ambushed by armed
people to ask for their daughters," Irwanto said, without
elaborating when and where the incident took place.
He said the "trauma center" was modeled on a similar program
run by Catholic priests in Atambua.
"After receiving therapy from the priests, the children could
enjoy their play, speak fluently and appeared to have returned to
their world," Irwanto said.
Seto Mulyadi of the Mutiara Foundation said the center would
help the children recover both mentally and physically. He cited
the foundation's successful work with children living in refugee
camps in Aceh and Ambon.
Seto, a psychologist with many years of experience with
children, said the trauma would be healed immediately if the
children could return to their homeland.
"This is the best solution. But the problem is there has been
no security guarantee from either Xanana Gusmao, Interfet and
Falintil troops if they wish to come home," Seto said.
Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao is the most influential
proindependence leader, who also leads Falintil. Security in East
Timor is the mandate of an Australian-led multinational
peacekeeping force during the transitional period before the
establishment of an independent East Timor state. (amd)