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Activists Blast Indonesian Military for Holding Up Critical Aid
As the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami continues to devastate the region, the people of Aceh in Indonesia have paid the heaviest price with some 94,000 feared dead. But human rights activists and aid groups accuse the Indonesian military of holding up aid to the most needy because of its war against the province. We'll talk to a human rights activist from Aceh and veteran activist and journalist Allan Nairn. As the confirmed death toll from the Asian Tsunami continues to rise to nearly 140,000, much of the world's attention is focused on the Indonesian province of Aceh, where the overwhelming majority of that country's 94,000 deaths have occured. Secretary of State General Colin Powell announced that he will visit Aceh on his tour of the devestation in the region, accompanied by Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Here is Colin Powell speaking on NBC's Meet the Press.
* Secretary of State Colin Powell
Despite the grave situation in Aceh, Humanitarian officials and human rights groups say the Indonesian military is actively preventing aid from being distributed. On Saturday, several aid groups and non-governmental organizations held a protest calling on control of the aid distribution to be taken out of the hands of the Indonesian military. The military took control of the airport warehouse, where goods are received from relief flights and stored until they can be distributed around Banda Aceh and other devestated towns. With its control of outgoing supplies, the military has complete power in determining where scarce trucks head with their precious cargoes. The Indonesian government"s senior disaster response coordinator, Alwi Shihab, announced Sunday that he had appointed Maj. Gen. Ambang Dharmono to take command of immediate relief efforts.
* Aguswandi, an Acehnese activist with the human rights group Tapol
* Allan Nairn, Journalist and Activist. To read Allan's reports, go to: newsc.blogspot.com
For more information and to make donations for the grassroots relief effort:
* East Timor Action Network
http://www.etan.org/
* Tapol, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
http://tapol.gn.apc.org/
LISTEN ONLINE AT:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/03/1446230
Despite the grave situation in Aceh, Humanitarian officials and human rights groups say the Indonesian military is actively preventing aid from being distributed. On Saturday, several aid groups and non-governmental organizations held a protest calling on control of the aid distribution to be taken out of the hands of the Indonesian military. The military took control of the airport warehouse, where goods are received from relief flights and stored until they can be distributed around Banda Aceh and other devestated towns. With its control of outgoing supplies, the military has complete power in determining where scarce trucks head with their precious cargoes. The Indonesian government"s senior disaster response coordinator, Alwi Shihab, announced Sunday that he had appointed Maj. Gen. Ambang Dharmono to take command of immediate relief efforts.
* Aguswandi, an Acehnese activist with the human rights group Tapol
* Allan Nairn, Journalist and Activist. To read Allan's reports, go to: newsc.blogspot.com
For more information and to make donations for the grassroots relief effort:
* East Timor Action Network
http://www.etan.org/
* Tapol, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
http://tapol.gn.apc.org/
LISTEN ONLINE AT:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/03/1446230
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How about a demo at the Indonesian Consulate?
Mon, Jan 3, 2005 4:53PM
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