Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Residents of Mane village in Pidie, Aceh, who lost family members and homes during the 30-year conflict between the government and the Free Aceh Movement have occupied the Aceh Reintegration Agency (BRA) office to press their compensation demands.
"We will stay here until our demands are met," one of those involved in the action, Muhammad, said Thursday.
At least 200 people have occupied the office and its yard for the past three days. Several people involved in the protest, including children, have begun to show signs of illness, while dwindling food supplies have forced protesters to beg from passersby.
The villagers are demanding the government take responsibility for the disappearance of family members and friends during the conflict, and for the disappearance of their livelihoods as a result of the violence.
"We want the government to provide each of us compensation amounting to Rp 150 million (US$15,789), so we can rebuild our homes, open new businesses and send our children to school," said Agus Salim, a spokesman for the protesters.
He said one year after the signing of a peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in August last year, those who lost loved ones and property in the conflict had yet to receive assistance from the government. He said the government had ignored several requests for financial support submitted by conflict victims.
Hanif Asmara, the reintegration agency secretary, said representatives of the BRA and the conflict victims were engaged in ongoing negotiations. "We hope some assistance for the conflict victims can be disbursed by next month," he said.
The agency has increased its compensation budget for victims to Rp 215 billion (US$22.63 million) this year and Rp 400 billion in 2007, from only Rp 10 billion in 2005. Funds will be channeled to about 63,000 conflict victims in Aceh, with each victim to receive Rp 10 million.
The government also will set aside another Rp 60 million to help families of those who died in the conflict. Preliminary data at the agency show the number of dead from just between 1989 and 2005 at 19,597. "The death toll could increase," Hanif said.