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An
elderly Acehnese woman rests in a makeshift refugee camp on a
soccer field after the military forced them to leave their homes
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, June 26 (IslamOnline.net) - As if being caught in the fierce
fighting between the Indonesian army and the separatist Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) is not causing them enough suffering, thousands of Aceh
refugee are plagued by ulcers, bronchitis and diarrhea as well
malnutrition, news agencies reported Thursday, June 26.
Refugee
camps are filled with thousands of Acehnese, many of whom had fled
their hometowns after the Indonesian government slapped martial law on
the war-ravaged province, reported the Jakarta Post.
On
May 19, President Megawati Sukarnoputri gave the go-ahead
for a massive military offensive on Ache to the separation drive
championed by some 5000 GAM fighters.
The
newspaper quoted local health officials as saying that virtually all
the refugees had scabies while many of them were suffering from
respiratory ailments.
According
to the latest data provided by the officials, there are currently
31,769 refugees living in 16 refugee camps across the province.
They
are mostly living in tents set up by local administrations, reported
the Jakarta Post.
According
to the military, almost
42,000 civilians have fled their homes for tented camps.
Top
security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono put the figure at 35,000
and said the number is expected to rise to 100,000.
Food
and water shortages
have been reported at a camp housing thousands of Achese refugees.
As
of Monday, June 16, more than 15,000 residents from 13 villages in the
Jeuli area were living in tents on a soccer field after the military
forced them to leave their homes.
Deep
Scar
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Acehnese
children rest at a refugee camp in the district of Peureulak
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The
Indonesian government's military operation in Aceh is leaving a deep
scar on the people of the province, an Acehnese businessman living in
Malaysia told IslamOnline.net.
Tuengku
Abdullah, who regularly traveled to Aceh before the beginning of the
military operation, said the Indonesian government is now fighting 80%
of Aceh's 5-million population.
“No
one likes to live in exile or in camps from their homes, and if they
are forced to do so because the military or the central government is
punishing them for supporting insurgency and independence, then it is
obvious the war will have deep impact on Aceh,” he averred.
Abdullah
underlined the Acehnese are yearning for a peaceful and free life away
from any authoritarian rule.
Jakarta
imposed its authority on Aceh for more than 25 years and the result of
the ongoing war is a dramatic moment in the lives of thousands, if not
millions of Acehnese, he said.
“From
water shortage to lack of medicines and the death of some people in
the camps, the situation will surely get worst in the long run. I
wonder how this will end,” Abdullah remarked, pondering on the fate
of some members of his family from the Pidie regency who are now
trapped in cross fire.
“This
is a tragedy and I cannot do anything. I can’t even go back there
now to do anything. I want to go home and see my nephews and nieces,
where are they I wonder,” lamented the Acehnese businessman.
Acehnese
refugees are willing to be assisted by the military or government
officials since they are desperate for food and medication but this
does not mean they will forget the tragedy they suffered under
Indonesian rule.
Even
the official human rights body in Indonesia, the National Commission
on Human Rights Komnas Ham, has abandoned the people of Aceh by
supporting the military offensive.
It,
thus, sent the Acehnese a signal that under Indonesian rule and
without the MAM there might not be a bed of roses for them.
“It
is clear that there will be no justice for rights violation and that
what has happened during the days of General Suharto will remain a
mystery,” said Abdullah's son who is studying in Malaysia.
In
contrast to the Komnas, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), issued a joint
statement Wednesday, June 25, urging both the GAM and the Indonesian
army to "respect the humanitarian principles" as stipulated
under the Geneva Conventions.
Both
sides must avoid violence to life and person and the taking of
hostages, the humanitarian groups said.
The
PMI also called for the public to donate blood to help fulfill the
increasing need for blood in Aceh, reported Antara news agency.
In
a report released by its branch office in Aceh Saturday, June 21, the
Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said a
total of 176
civilians in 12 districts in Aceh had become victims of
"extra judicial killings."
In
a recent report, the London-based Amnesty International highlighted
reports that "civilians, including children, have been subjected
to extrajudicial
execution, and that many thousands of people have been forced
to flee their homes," in Aceh.
"Amnesty
International reminds the government of Indonesia that the declaration
of a military emergency does not allow derogation of basic human
rights," said the report.
