Where are you now, Angelinia Jolie?

Interesting developments regarding the Rohingya in what could be viewed as neighboring countries’ currying world favor. But hey, whatever works!

Boat people grateful for sanctuary, baffled by Gambia offer

http://news.yahoo.com/boat-people-grateful-sanctuary-baffled-gambia-offer-070032645.html

The Malaysian and Indonesian governments should get many kudos for allowing refugees to land on their shores, but Gambia wins the prize. Although one cannot help but wonder if the Gambia government has some savvy PR people who are betting that accepting a great many refugees will open a possible floodgate of financial aid from grateful nations who don’t have to take them.  

 And while Indonesia and Thailand  get slammed in the press for not taking them, we hear practically no peep from, or about Myanmar, the source of the problem.

I also have to point out that while Jakarta may have previously issued edict prohibiting refugees from landing, few Acehnese citizens obeyed these rules, and continued to help refugees who either landed on shore or who were encountered by Acehnese fishermen drifting in Aceh’s waters. These poor, downtrodden local Indonesians have continually come to the aid of their brethren, giving when they have nothing left to give while, most of the world sits on its keester and ignores the entire problem.

Fishermen wept as they rescued starving migrants off Indonesia

http://news.yahoo.com/fishermen-wept-rescued-starving-migrants-off-indonesia-110839950.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory&soc_trk=ma

These recent activities are also interesting because the Quran speaks of Muslims helping Muslims as well as others. Where are the oil rich Arab nations, home to scores of wealthy Muslims? But mostly, where is humanity? I remember all too well begging in 2009 for help for the refuges in Aceh Timur, and 90% of humanitarian aid doors slamming in my face. At least now there is some breathing room and I am sure some token of assistance. (JMD is also providing assistance, per the request of a grassroots organization on-site.)

The Thais and the Burmese, however, have to be held accountable for their crimes against humanity. These "gentle" people have to be taken to task for their roles in this genocide, which have been nothing short of vile, murdering psychopaths. The Buddhist community worldwide, should rise up and condemn these acts.

And again, I ask, where are you now, Angelina Jolie?

Recent TNI murders in Aceh Utara: ultimately, it's GAM against GAM

For those of you wondering if JMD is working near the area where two Indonesian military (TNI) officers were kidnapped and killed by separatists yesterday: yes and no.  The incident occurred in Sawang, Aceh Utara district, which is next door and to the northwest of Aceh Timur. JMD currently works quite far from this area, but the incident is possibly and unfortunately part of a growing issue in these northern districts, where former combatants are still feeling the effects of being completely shut off from any benefits of the 2005 peace accord.

JMD has worked in the same location as the killings; I remember Sawang very well, and my years of dodging bullets.   That area has been a hotbed of violence both during and after the conflict; there’s always been trouble there, always. Nur Salim, then head of BRA (the agency set up to address the needs of ex-combatants) asked JMD in 2006 to go to Sawang to see if we could provide some assistance the small village of Cot Calang.  A women’s group called Lena—named after his wife—introduced us to the community.  The area was notorious for kidnappings, robbery, extortion—you name it.  But our mission as to serve those most in need, so that’s what we did.  I went there with Dina, one of JMD’s program managers.  I remember being given reason after reason by the women’s group and other community members to stay overnight, even though I had intended to travel back to Banda Aceh that night.  No, no, you can’t go, there’s another meeting to go to; the women wanted to have dinner with you, no, please, just one more meeting, . . . until it was too late to go.  This happened on another occasion to Dina as well.  The reason for their stalling was that not 5 minutes away from me, World Bank official Adrian Morel was being kidnapped, and the village wanted to keep me away from that incident while it happened. Bobby Anderson of IOM was carjacked in Sawang . . . these things went on all the time in that area, and the community was, if not complicit, aware of everything that was about to happen. Pak Nur apologized to me later for that one.  And the Chief of police wanted to assign us a “security detail,” which we flatly refused. And we were soon back again in Aceh Utara, doing among other things a goat fattening project that had been awarded to IRD, who was too afraid to go there so they gave JMD the funds and told us to go—JMD was the only agency that would work in that district at the time.

Sawang was the only place that JMD ever worked where anyone tried to threaten or extort money from us, and when it happened I just looked at the thug in charge and said “No way,” and told all our staff to leave.  Fortunately the head of the village set the thug straight and we went back and completed the project without incident.  JMD was always well-liked and respected there—but due to its constant security issues, no donor would ever fund more projects there.  Even Aceh Timur is a tough sell. 

What is different about this latest incident is that it involves the murder of TNI (Indonesian military) intelligence officers.  Everyone in that area knows that kidnappings, carjackings, local violence—these things might get a mention in the paper but are considered commonplace.  (Adrian Morel, after all, was released unharmed the following day.) But if a separatist group murders Indonesia military, they do so knowing that this will unleash the fury of Jakarta.  This group, whether it is Din Minimi or some other faction, is directly provoking an attack on the Aceh provincial government, whom, you will recall, are those few ex-GAM who after the pace accord rose to top level positions, intentionally leaving the majority of their fellow combatants without jobs, security or hope for the future.  As I wrote to President Clinton in 2012, and have been repeating it several times a year till everyone is sick of hearing it: Aceh’s downfall will be GAM against GAM, and nothing could make Jakarta happier.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/world/article/gunmen-shoot-dead-two-indonesian-soldiers-in-aceh#sthash.FoTdYrio.dpuf

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/25/two-abducted-soldiers-killed-aceh.html#sthash.Kh7UNuN6.dpuf