From Bernama (Malaysian National News Agency) http://www.bernama.com/ we read:
General
---------- January 20, 2005 16:20 PM
Reports Of 300 Orphans Removed From Aceh Untrue, Says Indonesia
By Mohd Nasir Yusoff
JAKARTA, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- The head of Indonesia's National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Syamsir Siregar said today investigations revealed that there was no truth in the news reports that about 300 Acehnese orphans had been taken out of tsunami-hit Aceh province.
He said the probe carried out by BIN on a news report in the Washington Post picked by up local dailies several days ago found that it was not true that the orphans had been taken out from the province and then given up for adoption outside Indonesia.
"Our investigations revealed that it was not true and the news was nothing more than just a press sensation," he said during a meeting with Indonesian Parliament Comission I here, as quoted by Antara news agency.
The working meeting, also attended by Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono and Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Chief Jen Endriartono Sutarto, was held to discuss developments in the handling and relief efforts of the Dec 26 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
The biggest ever humanitarian tragedy to have struck Indonesia in living memory has caused more than 100,000 deaths and left behind some 35,000 orphans.
Syamsir said the reports, which were significantly played up by the local press, had caused unnecessary alarm among the people of Indonesia. He said BIN was still looking for those behind the report.
Following the publication of the report, Muslim community leaders and heads of organisations had urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to carry out an in-depth investigation.
On the existence of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), he said members of the separatist group were also affected by the disaster and many among those living in the cities of Aceh and their family members had also fallen victim.
"At the moment, they also lack logistics dan manpower," he said, adding that now was the best time for the Indonesian government to engage GAM in discussion towards finding a final solution to the problem.
"The president himself has voiced out the government's intention to settle the problem amicably and with dignity towards a friendly solution; and we (BIN) too say yes, God willing," he said.
On humanitarian aid from countries such as Taiwan and Israel which have no diplomatic ties with Indonesia, he said the aid was not given by the governments of those countries but by their private sectors.
He said aid like medicines and water purifiers should be accepted with an open mind no matter where it came from as it was meant for humanitarian purposes.
-- BERNAMA
We provide (subscription-based) news coverage in our <http://www.bernama.com/newslink>Newslink service.
Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.10 - Release Date: 1/10/2005
____________________________________________________ Berhenti/mengganti konfigurasi keanggotaan anda, silahkan ke: http://rantaunet.org/palanta-setting ------------------------------------------------------------ Tata Tertib Palanta RantauNet: http://rantaunet.org/palanta-tatatertib ____________________________________________________
