Aftermath of Tsunami: A mediator to resolve the political conflict in Acheh

Author: SIRA
Category: Acheh Tsunami
Date: 01/09/05

Commentary

The honorable; Sir Kofi Annan,

the Secretary General of the UN Head of the UN representative in Indonesia

ccording to your attendance at the International Emergency Summit held in Jakarta to handle the enormous disaster in Acheh, and your planning to visit to Acheh, SIRA is absolutely welcome and deepest to appreciate to it . SIRA truly concentrate to your visit. Hoping that it will provide many advantages to the toll and all of the people of Acheh entirely.

For those SIRA would like to report to the real condition in the field aftermath of the earthquake and tidal wave, Tsunami. The situation in Acheh is unpredictable, damaged, and destroyed. The local government collapses. We can say that Acheh does not has the government. The activities of people pause. The affect of disaster still appears anywhere. A lot of bodies has not been evacuated entirely and owing to not on time many critical survivors can not be save. It is disable of the government of Indonesia to assist the toll. Besides that the good willing of the UN and the neighborhood countries to offer the humanitarian relief at the beginning of disaster is prohibited by Indonesia and may come into Acheh next five days after it hence the critical survivors die .

Now many survivors stay at safe places to inhibit the series earthquake. The epidemic begins to spread hence many people move from Acheh.

Meanwhile at the refugees camp, the illnesses suffer them, e.g., vomiting, and irritation. The starvation is ongoing trough them. Distribution of foodstock comes late. Ironically five days aftermath of disaster people still starve too. Many humanitarian reliefs block at the airport and other posts. It is because of broken road and some areas are still isolated.

Another problem is the unpredictable circumtance. For example unknown people try to steal , to rob and et cetera the goods that leave by people who have came to the refugee camp. Indonesian police and military claimed that the perpetrator (s) was GAM or opposite. In this situation Indonesia military takes a chance to attack GAM and intensify of the intelligence operation and it will produce the frontal war between the warring parties. Of course It will disrupt the humanitarian relief operation. The people of acheh suffer all the time.

On the reason of those , SIRA provides the facts in the field and the aspirations of Achenese to the UN and other the international NGOs as follow:

1. SIRA are sincere grateful to the UN’s care to assist toll in Acheh. Also our gratitude to the overseas countries and the national and international NGOs to aid the humanitarian relief operation, and to distribute it to toll.

2. After the humanitarian relief operation ends, SIRA expects that the UN , the overseas countries , and other international NGOs still exist in acheh and involving directly to the programs of reconstruction and rehabilitation.

3. Recently The people of Acheh not only require the humanitarian relief but also solving integrally the political conflict between the Government of Indonesia and the Government of State of Acheh (GAM). SIRA is deeply expectation that one-day visit in Acheh the Secretary General of UN could establish the peace agenda based to the aspirations of Acheh people . It will create the eternal peace in Acheh.

4. The involving of the UN is absolutely significant to force the Government of Indonesia and the Government of Indonesia ends the war. And to give a chance for the people to have the self- determination and the political status.

5. The solution of the political conflict is Indonesia and GAM have to re-establish the international- facilitated dialogue and have to cease fire for humanity, reconstruction, and long-term free. The people of Acheh request the international parties involving to solve the political conflict as they do at the humanitarian relief operation.

Banda Aceh, January 8^th,2005

Acheh Referendum Information Center

Members of the presidium Council

Nasrudin Abubakar; Faisal Ridha; Muhammad Saleh

Contact person (Mobile Phones):

08158760497, 081514229593, 0816343793

CC:

1. The President of The Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta

2. The Prime Minister of the State of Acheh Malik Mahmud in Sweden

3. Mass medias

Note:

SIRA is an organization of the struggle of Achenese people, established by 104 organisations on February 4 ^th, 1999, at the Kongres Mahasiswa dan Pemuda Acheh Serantau (The congress of the Students and Youth ).The 104 organizations contain of the student councils, the youth councils, the religious schools students . On November 8^th, 1999 SIRA succeeded to gather two million people in front of the Grand Mosque Banda Acheh The aim of this is to struggle the self-determination right, democratically, and peacefully.