Aceh anew: Northern Sumatra still recovering from tsunami calamity, as region's longstanding conflict continues

Catholic New Times, July 3, 2005 by Kevin Spurgaitis

It's only been six months since a tsunami earth quake engulfed Aceh province in Indonesia--and parts of South East Asia. In its wake, wastelands abounded in place of vegetable patches. Survivors fell gravely ill, combating hunger and acute respiratory diseases. Providentially, the war-torn region is awash in donations--many people are convalescing and starting anew. However, aid groups now fear for Acehnese's long-term future. In their beleaguered, little-known region, military suppression and reams of red tape have knotted the reconstruction effort, says human rights activist Evi Zain.

"I appreciate the immediate response from Canada and the world after the tsunami, but not many people knew about my homeland's problems before the (calamity)," says Zain, co-ordinator of Kontras-Aceh, an underground Committee for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence. She recently toured Toronto and Ottawa in partnership with KAIROS, Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.

"We want Canada to know about the human-rights abuses and the military as violators. The Indonesian government is making decisions without consultation with civil society groups, but they are the very survivors of the tsunami and the conflict."

Born in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, the 32-year--old began her humanitarian work in 1996. Even with her own home razed--and family and friends lost to the tsunami--she and other human-rights defenders resumed their investigations into missing persons, while facing violent persecution at the hands of armed forces, she alleges. Steadfast, though, Zain continues advocating at home and abroad for Kontras-Aceh. Zain recently testified at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, entreating member countries not just for emergency aid to her country, but peace.

"Our mandate is to help victims and demand the rights of the survivors of the tsunami," says Zain. "Everything has been chaotic ... It's horrible."

There's a 30-year history of militarization and resistance in Aceh. Indonesia's largely Islamic province--with a population of 4.5 million--was once promised regional autonomy with control over education and religious affairs. However, the central government never followed through with this, and even began siphoning Aceh's lucrative offshore gas fields mid-last century. This propelled the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or GAM) in 1976, which continues to arm itself in its struggle for independence from Indonesia.

According to non-partisan Kontras Aceh, the Indonesian military's (TNI) counter-insurgency war against GAM has been bloody--and everlasting. Peace talks between both sides recently resumed in Helsinki, but have been described as "fragile and inadequate" by pundits. Despite assurances of a ceasefire by TNI chief General Endriartono Sutarto, the army resumed raids into suspected rebel areas this year, as part of its on-going "security" operations. The move drew the ire of advocacy groups, which have chided the armed forces for its poor human-rights record. Kontras Aceh has recorded more than 100 cases of abuses between January and May. They include torture, arbitrary arrest, sexual violence, killings, disappearances and house raids.

TNI has a vested interest in controlling Acehnese society, charges Nancy Slamet, Inter national Human Rights coordinator with KAIROS. "How can there be free and safe access to aid when there is perpetrator of human-fights violations dispersing the aid. It's against humanitarian principles and law for a party to a conflict to take a lead role in humanitarian aid, because it compromises their neutrality and impartiality."

KAIROS is a coalition of 11 Canadian churches, with a long history of involvement in South East Asia. It supports the human-rights monitoring, documentation and advocacy efforts of Kontras Aceh.

"Right now, there aren't sufficient mechanisms in place to ensure aid is not diverted to the military--no accountability," says Slamet, pointing out that many people are rebuilding their own homes out of their own pockets. "But (the army) has bullied their way and reasserted themselves into this process, by justifying the need for security."

Tsunami takes its toll

Following the Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed more than 100,000 people, at least a dozen governments commenced their 'missions of mercy.' Scores of aid agencies set foot in Aceh and ad-hoc encampments arose, while forensic teams painstakingly identified the dead. Inter nationally, countries have donated more than US$5 billion to tsunami relief.

However, the road to recovery isn't exactly paved with goodwill. Widespread theft of food aid and logistical supplies is a concern. And because of bureaucratic holdups and NGOs' failure to establish steady supply chains, thousands of containers of food have been stranded in the region's main port in Belawan, customs data show. Dockside, some perishable items pass their 'sell-by dates.' For the hundreds of thousands of people surviving without proper shelter and supplies, experts also forecast greater backlogs of clothes and construction materials.