Indonesia - OCHA Consolidated Situation Report No. 108
21 December - 27 December 2002
All staff of UN OCHA Indonesia wish you joy for the festive seasons & a bright
and prosperous new year
1. NATURAL DISASTERS
Heavy rains over the last two days, inundated some 2,000 homes in Baleendah,
Dayeukholot, and Ciparay sub-districts in Bandung, West Java. Water level reached 3
metres in some areas and almost 1,500 residents were displaced and sheltered in
safer locations. The District Government and the People's Unity Division in the district
are handling the situation.
Kompas reported on Friday (27 Dec.) that many rivers in Palembang, South Sumatra,
are about to overflow, which cause concern about possible floods. The District
Government of Palembang City has not been seen making extra efforts to prevent the
threat of floods.
2. ACEH (Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam)
General Situation
According to local media, no human casualties were reported in the province during
the week.
Head of the Joint Security Committee (JSC), Major Gen. Thanongsuk Tuvinun, at a
press conference on Tuesday (24 Dec.) expressed regrets on the continued atrocities
occurred in the province after the signing of the peace agreement. He reminded both
parties to refrain from taking violent acts to avoid jeopardizing the peace process. The
Jakarta Post reporded that a total of 11 people have died since the government and
GAM signed a framework for peace on 9 December.
Indonesia's Police Chief inaugurated Inspector General Bachrumsyah Kasman as the
new Police Chief of Nanggroe Aceh Darusallam (NAD) Province on Monday (23 Dec.)
in Jakarta to replace Yusuf Manggabarani. The official handover ceremony will be held
on Saturday (28 Dec.) in Banda Aceh. Bachrumsyah used to be the Police Chief of
NAD in 2000 - 2001.
NAD's Military Command (Kodam Iskandar) celebrated its 46th anniversary on
Monday (23 Dec.) in Banda Aceh, which was attended by several GAM commanders.
TNI Commander for NAD, Djali Yusuf, signalled his troops to behave in the field and to
follow orders, as well as to abide by and implement the peace accord.
Population Movement
North Sumatra Government informed that termination funds for Acehnese IDPs have
been temporarily suspended after an instruction issued on Friday (13 Dec.) by the
Minister of Social Affairs. The Local Government Spokesperson explained on Friday
(20 Dec.) that the decision was made due to the stark increase in IDPs figures and
the suspicions on the fund manipulation by certain officials.
Health
WHO conducted a meeting with the Provincial Health Department on Friday (27 Dec.)
to update the process of quantitative survey for mental health study. The survey was
conducted by distributing questionnaires in the field.
SC US submitted a proposal to OCHA on Friday (20 Dec.) for scabies treatment
project in Pidie district.
Water and Sanitation
CARDI conducted a field trip to Nagan Raya and Southwest Aceh districts from 24 to
28 December to assess the impact of latest floods and to seek the possibility of
conducting a de-contamination programme. The programme will be funded by DFID
emergency funds through OCHA.
Education
A local newspaper, Serambi, reported on Thursday (26 Dec.) that 21,800 students
were currently studying under emergency tents in Simeulue district due to earthquake
in early November. The Vice Bupati of Simeulue explained that from that number,
18,680 students were at primary school level and 3,120 students were at secondary
level. Some 170 classrooms were heavily damaged, 111 were catagorised as medium
damage and 186 were mild damages.
Livelihood
CARDI conducted a field trip to Kareung, Aceh Besar on Thursday (26 Dec.) to meet
the village and sub-district authorities and to supervise the distribution of the first set
of income generating equipment.
Others
SC US is conducting a leadership workshop for youth groups from 26 December 2002
to 4 January 2003 in six conflict-affected areas. The workshop is part of its
programme to support youth activities.
3. CENTRAL SULAWESI
General Situation
Kompas reported on Thursday (26 Dec.) that general situation in Central Sulawesi
was relatively calm during Christmas, though one person was killed and another
person was missing in Poso district. In Palu, each church was guarded by a
combined team of the Police and Army. In addition, church young activists also
helped the security team by checking the parish's belongings before entering the
church.
Kompas also reported on Thursday (26 Dec.) that the Police found 250 kg of
ammonium nitrate in Palu. The Police suspected that the material could be used for
making bombs and was imported from Malaysia.
4. MALUKU
General Situation
Overall Christmas celebrations took place in Maluku without any serious incident. The
Police reported that one person was shot and another one was stabbed by an
unknown assailant on Wednesday (25 Dec.).
Health
IMC Srikandi vessel has finished essential drugs distribution to East and North
Seram, and came back to Ambon on Wednesday (25 Dec.).
IMC is working on the rehabilitation of health posts and centers on Seram Island.
IMC treated 64 patients with Malaria in its mobile clinic in Waemulang.
IMC doctors saw a total of 1,801 patients through out the province.
5. NORTH MALUKU
General Situation
President Megawati Soekarnoputri made a brief visit to Ternate on Thursday (26
Dec.). During her visit, the President witnessed the hand-over of three computers for
an orphanage house in Ternate and a van to an orphanage house in Tobelo.
Hasan Do'a and Haji Ridwan Elyas were installed as the Regent (Bupati) and Deputy
Regent respectively by the Governor on behalf of the Minister of Internal Affairs on
Monday (22 Dec.) at the Regent office in Tidore district. They will serve for the next 5
years period.
A fire destroyed several vegetables and retail stalls in a market in Ternate City on
Sunday (22 Dec.). Most of the stalls were owned by Bugis traders from North and
South Sulawesi. No causalities were reported.
Population Movement
The Provincial Social Department reported on Wednesday (11 Dec.) that IDPs in
Tobelo Kota have returned to their places of origin. Some 1,003 people (230 families)
have returned to Gorua village, Tobelo sub-district, while some 966 people (218
families) have returned to Togawa village, Galela sub-district. The Provincial Social
Department also informed that the repatriation programme of IDPs in Tobelo Kota will
continue until Saturday (28 Dec.), during which some 1,000 people (243 families)
would be returned to Duma village and 560 people (123 families) to Soakonora village,
Galela sub-district.
6. PAPUA
General Situation
The Jakarta Post reported on Friday (27 Dec.) that President Megawati Soekarnoputri
accompanied by a number of Cabinet ministers celebrated Christmas in Papua and
marked the granting of concessions under the special autonomous status to help
improve the welfare of Papuans. Papua Governor Jaap Solossa commented that
Megawati's visit to the province was meaningful and was a proof to Papuans that the
Central Government was paying serious attention to the province. During the visit
security situation throughout the province remained calm and controlled.
Christmas was celebrated for three consecutive days in Papua with no reports from
the province indicating conflict or violence. Police took extra precautions in yard-gates
of churches during the holidays.
The Jakarta Post reported on Tuesday (24 Dec.) that GoRI would allow FBI to
participate in the investigation of the 30 August shooting at the PT Freeport
Indonesian gold mine in Timika, Papua, which killed two American workers and one
Indonesian. Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, said that GoRI would only allow their participation as part of a team led
by the Indonesian police.
The Jakarta Post reported on Tuesday (24 Dec.) reported that the TNI has sued The
Washington Post to the court for its 3 November edition, which used "highly reliable"
sources and other information in its article about the Freeport ambush. It is said that
prior to the ambush, several TNI officers, including TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto,
allegedly discussed an operation against Freeport with the ultimate aim of discrediting
the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM). The military has demanded the Post to
make a public apology.
The Jakarta Post reported on Monday (23 Dec.) that some 14,000 Papuan border
crossers, including suspected separatists, are currently spreading in numerous
camps across Papua New Guinea (PNG) and most of them are willing to return. The
Indonesian Ambassador to PNG, J.R.G. Djopari, asked the West Papuan authorities
to accept the border crossers. Djopari said that the refugees were traumatized by
past abuses, living in critical conditions and required assistance from the Government
of Indonesia (GoRI). The ambassador said the Indonesian Embassy in Port Moresby
was facilitating the planned repatriation of the Papuan border crossers. Many of the
refugees, who come from the regencies of Merauke, Pegunungan Tengah and
Jayapura, have been living for 30 years in PNG, but are still holding Indonesian
citizenship. The refugees also demanded security guarantee for their return.
Selected Abbreviations Key
ACF Action Contre la Faim
Bakornas PBP National Coordinating Board for the Management of Disaster and
IDPs/Refugees
Brimob Police Mobile Brigade
Bulog National Logistics Agency
CWS Church World Service
GAM Free Aceh Movement
CARDI Consortium for Assistance to Refugees and the Displaced in Indonesia
CORDAID Catholic Organisation for Relief and Development
ICMC International Catholic Migration Commission
IMC International Medical Corps
IDP Internally displaced person
IRD International Relief and Development
JRS Jesuit Refugee Service
Komnas HAM National Commission on Human Rights
Kopassus Army's Special Force
Kostrad Army's Strategic Reserve Command
MSF-B Medecins sans Frontieres Belgium
MCK Combined Bathing, Washing and Latrine Facility
OPM Free Papua Organisation
PMI Indonesian Red Cross
Polindes Field Health Post
Posyandu Integrated health service
Puskesmas Primary health centre
Pustu Primary health unit
Satkorlak PBP Provincial Coordinating Unit for the Management of Disaster and
IDPs/Refugees
Satlak PBP District Executing Unit for the Management of Disaster and
IDPs/Refugees
SC US Save the Children US
TNI Indonesian Armed Forces
WVI World Vision International
This report and previous ones can be found at www.reliefweb.int
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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