[Kabar-indonesia] 6 articles from Tempo's 'Aceh Today' section

[Joyo at aol.com]

6 articles from Tempo's 'Aceh Today' section:

- TV Eng-Ong's Peace Message
- Transmission Troubles
- The Narrator
- Transmigrant Homes Neglected by Contractors
- Profile of the Week: YBI 
- Further Funds Approved

Tempo Magazine
No. 44/VI/July 04 - 10, 2006

Aceh Today

TV Eng-Ong's Peace Message

HE was Apa Kaoy, certainly not his real name, when
appearing to open television programs. Flawlessly
played by M. Yusuf Bombang, Apa Kaoy succeeded in
swaying the public to watch his television shows.

Apa Kaoy's greeting became the opening of television
performances going around Aceh from May 27 to June 10,
2006. Presented live from program arenas, they
proceeded without being "jammed," unlike this year's
World Cup matches, which can hardly be enjoyed by
communities in remote rural districts. So, there
emerged what local people called TV Eng-Ong, as the
favorite television of Aceh's village audiences.

Do not imagine it like a normal television station. TV
Eng-Ong had only loudspeakers, a diesel truck and a
PMTOH (narrative art) minibus. A box as large as a
primary school blackboard was designed in such a way
out of plywood painted black that it looked exactly
like a giant television. So, a mobile television
station was set up.

One could not expect to find this entertainment in
other places, because this so-called television was
only to be viewed directly without UHF aerials like
other private television broadcasts in Indonesia. The
mobile television was founded by Komunitas Tikar
Pandan, a cultural group in Aceh, to convey the
message of peace to society.

TV Eng-Ong served the mission of public information on
matters local people had thus far found hard to grasp
in connection with the issue of peace. "TV Eng-Ong is
only a campaign medium. What do you want to say? Do it
through TV Eng-Ong," said Azhari, director of Tikar
Pandan.

According to Azhari, it is aimed at translating the
contents of the Helsinki memorandum of understanding
(MoU) in simple terms. Its account was presented in a
PMTOH (narrative) fashion. Therefore, people in the
interior regions had no difficulty in seeing the point
of the MoU. The Aceh tour to bring the message of
peace was financed by the Government of Japan and the
European Community, and managed by the Information,
Counseling and Referral Service of the International
Organization of Migration (IOM).

Against this background, it was considered appropriate
to offer stimulating shows while conveying the gist of
the MoU. Through the PMTOH art, Aceh citizens would
find it easy to understand as it was to be
communicated by narrative. And so the Tikar Pandan
community toured a number of ex-conflict spots present
in all regencies/cities in Aceh. A two-week journey
started from Aceh's northernmost coast to the south.

The past experience and the local communities' being
sick and tired of conflict caused TV Eng-Ong to be
warmly welcomed. Poem recitals and exchanges were also
presented by this medium. The public could also
rediscover the atmosphere of Aceh's olden days with
poetry rooted in its culture, which has now become
increasingly rare.

Formerly, Aceh people in fact sought entertainment
from narrative poems and songs as their popular arts.
In this way, whatever was to be conveyed could be
clearly figured out by them, let alone by inland
villagers. "The public was very enthusiastic about our
shows; every time, the audience kept asking for the
show to be longer," revealed Murthada, manager of TV
Eng-Ong.

With 13 crew members, TV Eng-Ong toured 32 remote
villages, which during the Aceh conflict were known as
"black" areas. The "Peulandoek woe u gampoeng" (The
deer returns home) always brought a special message
through its programs: the message of peace.

According to Murthada, frequently called Thodak, the
special message via "Peulandoek woe u gampoeng" was
conveyed by communicating the points in the
Indonesia-Free Aceh Movement (GAM) MoU signed in
Helsinski in August last year. "Some Acehnese still
have little or no knowledge of the peace memorandum,"
he said.

Communities in the countryside are still unable to get
posters and articles containing the provisions of the
Helsinski agreement. Their understanding originally
fell far short of expectations.

Thodak is not exaggerating, as TV Eng-Ong do not carry
out peace campaigns in cities. Rather, nearly all the
villages they visited were located in remote regions,
some 30 kilometers from Aceh's provincial highways.
Their access to information is virtually negligible.

The PMTOH central figure reciting verses on this
television program was Agus Nur Amal. He is fully
assisted by narrative experts Udin Pelor and Yusuf
Bombang. "We managed to communicate the MoU's contents
through our shows," said Agus.

There were no barriers on the way of "peulandoek woe u
gampoeng" except for gravel and potholes on the road,
as well as deer leaping deftly in our paths. One thing
the crew still remember are questions from the local
population who often ask 'where is the aid?"

Agus, through TV Eng-Ong, always replied and explained
calmly. Here's what he says: "The aid comes in
entertainments rather than rice, sugar and other basic
necessities…" It was put into poetic words with a bit
of comic play in the face.

TV Eng-Ong has thus accomplished its mission for the
moment. Through the narrative cultural action, the
crew is yet to carry on the tour while bringing along
the message of peace and reconstruction.

Zulfikar Hajar 

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Tempo Magazine
No. 44/VI/July 04 - 10, 2006

Aceh Today

Transmission Troubles

FISHERMEN were busy that morning unloading their catch
as Abdullah Syam broke up blocks of ice and helped
carry and put the fish into ice boxes to keep them
fresh on their way to the market.

Abdullah, a fishmonger and resident of Ujoeng Blang,
Kecamatan Banda Sakti, in Lhokseumawe, didn't expect
to make big profits. In the past few weeks he had to
spend more money on ice. "It used to be that small
blocks of refrigerator-produced ice cost only Rp500
apiece," he said. Daily Abdullah then used about 35
blocks of such ice at a cost of only Rp17,500 off
three interconnecting transmission-line towers in the
village of Alu Kumba, Kecamatan Sungai Raya, in East
Aceh. Abdullah now has to spend twice as much money.
"Today, I spend Rp35,000 for one big block of ice
imported from Medan and Langsa," said the 48-year-old.
A father of four, Abdullah paid Rp30,000 for one block
of such ice in Kota Lhokseumawe and spent another
Rp10,000 for transportation of the ice by becak
(tricycle).

A similar situation is faced by Amin. When electricity
was still available from grids operated by the State
Electricity Company, Amin could produce his own ice
from refrigerators. "Now my business suffers badly
without electricity," said Amin.

Abdus Salam, 42, a storekeeper in Baktya Barat
subdistrict, complained of the same problem. In past
weeks his business turnover dropped from Rp600,000 to
just a little over Rp250,000 a day.

Economic activities virtually stood still at night in
the absence of electricity. "Normally residents go out
spending the night in the bright light of
electricity," said Salam.

Not only do economic activities suffer from the power
outage, many pengajian (Qur'an learning groups) are
forced to reschedule their courses from night to
afternoon hours. "We have no power generator of our
own and kerosene lamps don't give enough light, so we
are changing to daytime lessons," said Tengku Reumi,
caretaker of a pengajian at Kecamatan Baktya in North
Aceh.

In Lhokseumawe and Pidie and in North Aceh and parts
of East Aceh, soccer fans went to coffee shops with
electricity from a portable generator to watch World
Cup matches. Alfian, a resident of Teumpok Teungoh,
Kecamatan Banda Sakti, Lhokseumawe, went out
immediately after performing his isha night prayer to
get a front seat at a coffee shop nearest his home.
The number of seats was limited at the small cafe. "I
don't have a generator at home, now with only Rp6,000
I could have drinks and cigarettes while watching the
games," said Alfian.

Without electricity, most rural residents go for
kerosene to light their houses. Many kerosene depots
in Lhokseumawe and Bireuen are charging a higher price
than that set by the government.

Syarifuddin, a Pertamina official at Lhokseumawe said
the government-set price is Rp2,400 a liter of
kerosene. "If the depots sell it at a higher price, it
means that they are charging more than that set by the
government," he said.

In Makmur Bireuen subdistrict, one depot was reported
to have sold its kerosene supplies outside its area of
distribution at Rp3,200 a liter. Even at such an
inflated price, many residents could not get the
kerosene they wanted.

Grid failure is not new in Aceh. Three electricity
towers were cut down for their cables by unknown
persons at Kecamatan Bayeun on March 7, 2002, four at
Langsa on March 21, 2003, and two at Alue Kumba,
Kecamatan Sungai Raya, East Aceh on June 10, 2004.

Three more towers were pulled down in Sungai Raya on
June 18 this year, plunging three districts in
northern Aceh, Bireuen, Kota Lhokseumawe, parts of
East and Central Aceh and Bener Meriah into darkness.
The power interruption also affected areas in Greater
Aceh and Banda Aceh,

Two days after the latest incident, police arrested
six men, including Ismail bin Abdullah, 27, Ayub bin
Usman, 23, Ilyas bin Ibrahim 25, Abdullah bin
Ibrahim,21, Muhammad Yusuf bin Hasim, 26, and Hendra
bin Sofyan, 15, all residents of Desa Seuneubok Dalam,
Kecamatan Rantau Selamat, East Aceh. Police also
arrested a man who bought the stolen cables. As a
result of their criminal activities, some 220,000 PLN
subscribers in the area were forced to live without
electricity.

Sulaiman Daud, manager of PLN in Lhokseumawe said that
altogether 21 incidents were reported in Aceh from
2001, the biggest number reported in East Aceh. "The
perpetrators' motives vary, but most of them are
criminally motivated," said Daud.

Daud said the only way to stop the criminals is for
the public to report to the police anyone suspected of
planning such a crime.

In the years before the end of the conflict in Aceh,
the government would charge members of GAM with
committing such acts. But not a single person was
arrested on such a charge.

Today, at least five of the perpetrators have been
arrested as investigation continues to find the
mastermind behind the criminal acts. In the meantime
repair works are continuing to bring electricity back
to the affected areas so that Abdullah and others like
him could resume normal lives, no longer complaining
of the high cost of living brought on by the power
outage.

Imran M.A.

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Tempo Magazine
No. 44/VI/July 04 - 10, 2006

Aceh Today

The Narrator

    They have often been promised aid,
    those pledging the aid, fail to
    keep it,
    never let needy people just await!! 

THESE were the verses recited by Agus Nur Amal when
Komunitas Tikar Pandan (a cultural group in Aceh)
launched its performance in remote villages. The group
toured Aceh for two weeks to convey the message of
peace, ending on June 10.

Nicknamed Agus 'PMTOH,' his comic talent invites
laughter, his acting is amazing, but the words he
utters are sharp and highly critical. Unsurprisingly,
his message of peace and main points of the Helsinki
MoU was absorbed by people living in remote
communities.

The idea of peace alongside reconstruction was
expressed in poetic verses in the style of PMTOH,
critical and entertaining narrative. It's an element
of Acehnese culture on the brink of extinction.

Born in Sabang on August 17, 1969, Agus has shown his
flair for this art since childhood. He later developed
his gift by learning from his famous senior, Tgk H
Adnan PMTOH. "He was my mentor," said Agus.

With this talent, Agus intends to preserve the
tradition of PMTOH by gathering various verses of this
narrative art found scattered in different regions.
Consequently, Agus has frequently toured Aceh, while
entertaining local people.

To preserve this cultural tradition, he also plans to
set up an educational institution for the Aceh
narrative of PMTOH art. At the end of May 2006, Agus
and his peers also traveled around the province to put
across the idea of peace by means of PMTOH poems.

For his efforts, Agus received a cultural award from
USAID in 2005. He also joined a meeting of artists in
Australia last year. As scheduled, he will leave for
the Netherlands in August for the launching of an
Indonesian cultural film directed by a Dutch citizen.
Of course, there is a scene featuring Agus and his
PMTOH in the film.

He hopes the government has a strategic plan to
preserve this unique culture of Aceh. "It's important
to prevent culture from becoming extinct," he
stressed.

In this way, PMTOH will not vanish and future
generations will be able to share in the laughter and
learn from what has been handed down to them.

Adi Warsidi 

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Tempo Magazine
No. 44/VI/July 04 - 10, 2006

Aceh Today

Transmigrant Homes Neglected by Contractors

A TOTAL of 97 transmigrants' homes in Bukit Makarti
village, Tanah Luas district, North Aceh, have been
abandoned by their contractor. This came to light when
the acting Regent of North Aceh, H.T. Pribadi, visited
the area last week.

In his report, the contractor had claimed that the
construction of homes for the transmigrants with funds
from the Aceh Special Region's budget had been 75
percent completed. A check on the spot showed,
however, that the construction had just been started
and only the framework of seven houses had been set
up.

The secretary of Bukit Makarti village, Sulaiman HS,
stated in his report to the regent that the housing
project for transmigrants had been undertaken by a
contractor from Lhokseumawe town. Derived from the
regional budget, the fund allocated amounted to Rp14
million per unit. Construction was started last April,
but when the frameworks had been set up, the
contractor abandoned them.The regent looked very angry
at this unfortunate development besetting
transmigrants. Some 360 families of Bukit Makarti do
not have proper accommodations yet. They now live in
tents and emergency shelters.

Agreement Paves Way for BRR Funding of IOM Projects

THE Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Agency
(BRR) and IOM have signed a groundbreaking MoU
allowing for the direct funding of the Organization's
housing and community infrastructure projects in Aceh.

The MoU marks an important new chapter in IOM's
efforts to rebuild communities shattered by the
December 2004 Asian tsunami, says Executive Officer
Paul Norton.

"This agreement formalizes the strong cooperative
relationship that has evolved between IOM and BRR over
the past year, and reflects our institutional
commitment globally to work with and through agencies
of the national and local government," Norton said.
"It's also a vote of confidence in our efforts in Aceh
and Nias to date and our plans for the future."

The MoU establishes the framework through which both
BRR and IOM's bilateral donors can fund the
Organization's construction and infrastructure work,
and will aid the identification of eligible
communities and suitable sites for the construction of
permanent homes. It creates an effective business
arrangement that sets out each party's roles,
responsibilities and business practices.

Community infrastructure includes internal roads,
drainage, deep wells, village planning and the
construction of social services buildings.

Under the terms of the MoU, BRR also assumes the lead
role in acquiring suitable land both for future
IOM-BRR collaborations and to housing projects that
have received bilateral funding from other sources.

Aceh Jaya Refugees Lack Clean Water

A NUMBER of refugees from Aceh Jaya regency, who are
presently occupying temporary shelters on the banks of
the Cot Irie River in Barona Jaya, Greater Aceh, have
complained about difficulties in obtaining clean
water. They voiced their complaints to acting Aceh
Governor Mustafa Abubakar last week, when he visited
the refugees who had been just a week in the temporary
shelters. Previously, the 166 families or 611 refugees
occupied emergency tents in Lampeuneureut, Darul
Imarah district.

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Tempo Magazine
No. 44/VI/July 04 - 10, 2006

Profile of the Week

YAYASAN Berkati Indonesia (YBI) was organized in 1998
in Jakarta by Dr. Jeff Hammond, an Australian citizen
who was born and raised in Manado, Indonesia. YBI is
also known as Bless Indonesia Today. YBI is a
non-governmental organization that helps people in
need.

Following the December 26, 2004 tsunami and earthquake
that hit Aceh and Nias, YBI was one of the first aid
organizations to bring supplies into the devastated
areas. Within a few days they had more teams, doctors,
nurses, food supplies, tents and cooking equipment
working on the ground.

In three months' time, they achieved many things in
Banda Aceh, like opening medical clinics that led to
the opening of the Meuraxa District Hospital as well
as 16 mobile medical clinics throughout Meuraxa
district, plus building houses in several villages
along the foreshore of Banda Aceh. YBI expects to
build 300 houses by the end of 2006 and provide food,
clothing, generators, cooking equipment, sewing
machines and many other necessities to assist the
communities.

YBI provides help not only in Aceh, but also in Nias.
YBI immediately became involved by supporting the
efforts of two other Christian groups who already had
established networks there, like Medan Peduli and the
National Prayer Network. YBI teams of workers,
doctors, nurses, and others worked together under
these other organizations. Their work will continue
through 2006.

In 2006 YBI programs in Aceh will concentrate on
building houses in the Meuraxa district and in Greater
Aceh. Building relationships and building and helping
victims overcome trauma is an ongoing and long-term
project. 

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Tempo Magazine
No. 44/VI/July 04 - 10, 2006

Aceh Today

Further Funds Approved

AFTER intense lobbying, the House of Representatives
(DPR) and the government agreed last week on an
additional 2 percent share of the General Allocation
Fund (DAU) for Aceh for a period of 15 years.

"That's the most that we can achieve in our lobbying,"
Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, head of the DPR special
committee on the Aceh Administration Bill, told
reporters on Tuesday. During the negotiation the
government reminded the committee of its limited
financial capability. But the DPR insisted that after
the 15-year period, the government should continue
with the DAU funding for another five years at 1
percent of the total amount. "The government finally
agreed to the DPR request," said Baldan of the Golkar
Party.

Under the Aceh Administration Bill, the government
will provide an additional DAU funding of only 5
percent for a period of five years. The Aceh Regional
House of Representatives, however, demanded that the
funding be granted at 5 percent for an indefinite
period of time to compensate for "injustices" against
Aceh by the previous government. It said the
compensation funds were needed because from the start
of exploitation of its oil and gas resources in 1977
to the date Aceh was granted special autonomy in 2002
and the start of the conflict in 1976, the province
had missed opportunities to develop its economic and
social potential. The government relented by granting
a 2-percent funding for a period of 15 years.

Committee member Imam Syuja from the National Mandate
Party (PAN) said the agreement didn't fully reflect
the wishes of the people of Aceh. "Like clothing, it's
too tight-fitting," said Imam. But the Free Aceh
Movement, he added, can't go back to the mountains.
"The only way is for everyone to continue the dialog
and find a compromise," said Syuja

Fachrudin, another committee member, said the
government needed to issue a technical guide to
control the spending of the funds. "At least 50
percent of the funds should go to the public sector,"
he said.

According to Fachrudin, deputy head of the commission
on governmental affairs, no clear control is exercised
in the spending of similar funds in Papua. "The money
there has mostly been spent for government purposes,"
he said.

Data available with the Aceh Development Planning
Agency show that a total of Rp104.4 trillion is needed
for infrastructure development, economic empowerment
of the people and education, health and religious
enhancement in Aceh. "This is on top of Rp48 trillion
in funds earmarked for the Aceh-Nias Rehabilitation &
Reconstruction Agency," said Akhmad Farhan Hamid, a
committee member from PAN.

Indria Samego of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences,
said the agreement was expected to make Aceh become
economically more independent. Samego warned that the
funds granted to Aceh should be allocated for,
distributed to and absorbed by the greatest number of
people in order not to arouse jealousies in other
provinces. "If well allocated and distributed, the
level of jealousy would be reduced," he said.

Fachruddin agreed. He said the bigger funding granted
to Aceh could arouse jealousies in other provinces,
such as Riau, which is rich in natural resources like
Aceh. According to Fachruddin, one way to reduce
jealousies is to spend the funds in a transparent way.

Meanwhile, former GAM negotiator Tengku Kamaruzaman
declined any comment on the agreement. But he said GAM
won't make any destructive move against the result of
the lobbying.

The lobbying which ended on Monday night involved the
DPR special committee on the Aceh Administration Bill,
the DPR working committee and representatives of party
factions in the DPR. The government was represented by
Home Affairs Minister M. Ma'ruf, State Secretary
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and Communications & Information
Minister Sofyan Djalil.

The DPR and the government also agreed to keep the
words "Aceh Administration" in the title of the bill.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P),
which called for the insertion of the words "regional"
and "provincial" in the original bill, later agreed to
keep the bill in its original title. "We explained to
the party that it was only a matter of title, not the
status of the province which is further explained in
the elucidation to the law," said Baldan.

With Tuesday's agreement, all differences on key
points in the bill have thus been resolved. Now the
drafting committee and the working committee only need
to rewrite the pertinent articles as agreed on. The
bill itself is expected to be passed into law in a
plenary session of the DPR scheduled for July 11.

Raden Rachmadi, Adida Swamurti 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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