Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – Hopes for East Timorese refugees to escape starvation went up in smoke in just 24 hours on Thursday as the East Nusa Tenggara administration announced it did not have enough rice for them.
The news came after a Wednesday statement by the provincial administration's spokesman Johanis B. Kosapilawan, who said that the local government had agreed to distribute rice to the refugees based on need.
However, on Thursday, Husein Pancratius, head of the provincial social affairs office, said the rice stocks that he had were too limited to be distributed to the refugees.
"There are only 26 tons of rice in our warehouses but we won't release it, because we are anticipating some extraordinary circumstances or natural disasters that may hit local people [East Nusa Tenggara-born]," he told The Jakarta Post.
There are between 20,000 and 50,000 East Timorese refugees remaining in the province and famine is looming in their camps since the rice assistance was halted on December 31 last year to speed up the repatriation program which has been ongoing since late 1999.
Earlier, the Coordinating Minister for Peoples' Welfare Jusuf Kalla asked the head of the provincial social affairs office in an official letter to distribute the rice to the refugees.
Husein said that the letter did not explain clearly who should receive the rice. "I admit that the letter mentioned that the rice should be given selectively, but it did not point out how to do that. This is where the difficulties came in for my officers in the field," he explained.
Husein suggested that the central government provide the rice for the humanitarian program.
Demands for rice and other aid have been aired many times of late by the refugees. Last week, they demanded the government to disburse the Rp 53 billion in aid money from Japan which is still being held in Jakarta.tate of emergency] does not reflect the aspiration of Acehnese people," said Husni, referring to Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's statement on Thursday that the Aceh councillors and Governor Abdullah Puteh did not represent the Acehnese people as a whole.
Chairman of the Aceh Ulemas Council Tengku Imam Suja' voiced a similar opinion on Friday. "Imposing a state of emergency in Aceh is against the wishes of the Acehnese people," said Imam Suja', who is also chairman of Muhammadiyah Aceh branch.
Susilo, who just returned from a five-day visit to Aceh to assess whether or not the situation there warrants a state of emergency, said Thursday that the government would pursue its plan to impose a state of emergency in Aceh.
He also claimed that the near-unanimous rejection by the Acehnese legislative representatives and Governor Puteh did not represent the Acehnese people who had been urging the government to deal firmly with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Imam Suja' said Minister Susilo had heard it for himself that Acehnese ulemas, the local administration and other social elements flatly rejected a stronger military approach in Aceh. "What Acehnese people want is a dialog between the government and GAM to be pursued," Imam Suja' told the Post.
Aceh councillor Muhammad Nasir Djamil warned Susilo on Friday against ignoring the aspirations of Acehnese people which was clearly conveyed to him last week.
"Jakarta should not disregard those voices as it was conveyed directly to the minister," Muhammad said. "Should Jakarta insist on imposing a state of emergency in Aceh, it will only deepen the scars in the hearts of Acehnese people," he said.
Despite the peace calls, Iskandar Muda (Aceh) Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djali Yusuf said in Jakarta on Friday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would intensify its military operations in the province.
"With or without a decision on a state of emergency in Aceh, we, the TNI, will continue with our military approach there. I guess it's the only way to protect civilians because the rebels threaten security," Djali told reporters after holding a meeting with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu at Army Headquarters.
According to Djali, the meeting also discussed the deployment of an additional four battalions to the province. He said reinforcements were needed in Aceh to overcome the forces of GAM, which had been fighting for independence since the 1970s.
He predicted that GAM currently had 3,962 combat troops on the ground, with 1,800 various weapons. The government, on the other hand, has a reported total of some 21,000 TNI troops and 12,000 police personnel.
"If GAM launched a conventional war, I believe that we could crush them in one day," Djali said. As the rebels conducted guerrilla warfare, TNI needed more troops to track down and attack them, he said.
He said the additional 4,000 troops would mostly be deployed in West Aceh regency, despite the hotbed of rebellion being in East Aceh regency. Djali did not provide further explanation.
TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto added that the Aceh question needed an effective solution. "Dialog is good, but if GAM continues to demand independence, dialog is impossible ... we have to settle the Aceh issue once and for all," Sutarto said after meeting President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the State Palace Friday. The four-star general also proposed an amnesty for GAM members who wanted to return to the Indonesian side.
"Once they [GAM] agree to accept the special regional autonomy, then the government would arrange an amnesty for them," he added. However, he said the president had yet to decide a new policy on Aceh and TNI would only follow the instruction from the government.