The Jakarta Post, February 03, 2006
Ambon refugees still waiting 7 years on
M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon
Seven years since a bloody Muslim-Christian conflict first erupted in Ambon in
January 1999, thousands of victims are still crammed into makeshift shelters for
displaced persons.
Presently, 15,788 families are still living in makeshift camps for in Ambon city, waiting
to be relocated or sent back to their hometowns.
Long queues of refugees can be seen regularly at local government offices, asking
officials whether the building materials or construction aid the state is supposed to
provide them are re! ady.
Head of the Maluku Refugees Coalition, Pieter Pattiwaelapia, told The Jakarta Post
recently that the situation in Ambon was probably the longest-running internal refugee
problem in the country.
Despite holding yellow cards, which entitle them to receive assistance, the displaced
people have been led on a bureaucratic wild-goose chase, and are confused by the
many layers of procedures they have to navigate, Pieter said.
The provincial administration earlier declared the refugee problem would be solved by
Jan. 31 this year, an extended deadline after it failed to meet its earlier promise to
completely bring an end to the problem in December.
But while the provincial and local administrations say they have taken steps to
improve the sit! uation, Pieter says little has changed.
Three successive Maluku governors, from M. Saleh Latuconsina, Sinyo Sarundajang
to the incumbent, Karel Albert Ralahalu, have not dealt with the matter, he said.
The displaced people are disappointed by the lack of an effective system -- with the
government neglecting its technical guidelines for the reconstruction of their houses.
And an incomplete database means thousands of families are not getting the help
they need, he said.
The houses that have been built are not integrated into the proper facilities the
government promised in its reconstruction blueprint, which envisioned incorporated
schools, health centers and places of worship, Pieter said. As a result, many of the
houses have ended up abandoned.
Maluku councillor Abdurrachman blamed the delays on lack of detailed data about the
refugees, which he said had frustrated officials' attempts to determine what groups
had already received assistance.
Earlier, the deputy speaker of the Maluku provincial council, Jhon Mailoa, also blamed
a lack of valid data for the repeated deadline extensions. "We have a special
committee to deal with refugees, but we've discovered that its numbers vary from
those registered with the administration," he said, without giving details of the
numbers.
He also advised the provincial administration not to completely transfer responsibility
for the refugees to regency or municipal administrations. "The refugee problem should
be addressed by both the provincial and regency/municipal administrations," Jhon
said.
Religious vi! olence between Muslims and Christians rocked the city for nearly two
years from early 1999 to late 2000. Thousands of people died and thousands more
were made homeless.
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