Sample letter:

contacts

Current Situation

Background Information

The implementation of Martial law in Aceh

Dear PBI Supporter,

We would like to thank you for your continued support of Peace Brigades International (PBI) and the many letters you have already sent regarding the situation in Aceh, Indonesia.

We are re-activating our emergency response network due to a further deterioration of the situation in Aceh since the introduction of new restrictions on the activities of international and local NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations). We are concerned that these new restrictions could force the withdrawal of PBI from Aceh.

For this reason, we ask you to contact your member of parliament as well as the Hon. Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Hon. David Kilgour, Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) and advocate for the continued presence of international organizations, such as PBI, and for the easing of restrictions on the activities of local and international organizations within Aceh. In particular, we urge the Canadian Government to insist that the Indonesian government speedily issue working permits for PBI field team members. (Please note, we ask that you DO NOT contact Indonesian authorities directly but apply pressure to the Canadian government to take action on this matter.)
What follows is a sample letter as well as an Emergency Update bulletin with more detailed background information on the situation. (These documents are also found as an attachment). Please forward a copy of your letters to PBI Canada.
Thank you for your ongoing support.

Sincerely,

Jen Maurice
Director, PBI-Canada

Sample letter:

Dear

I am writing to urge you to place diplomatic pressure on the government of Indonesia to permit the continued presence of international organizations in the province of Aceh. Since placing Aceh under martial law on 19 May 2003, military decrees have placed significant restrictions on the work of local and international organizations including Peace Brigades International (PBI).

Peace Brigades International is an international, non-partisan volunteer organization dedicated to making space for peace in various conflict areas and has been working with local humanitarian and human rights organizations in Aceh since 2000.

These regulations seriously restrict the activity of both local and international organizations and may force the withdrawal of PBI from Aceh.

In particular, I urge the Canadian Government to insist the Indonesian government support:
· Continued presence of international organizations and for the easing of restrictions on the activities of local and international organizations within Aceh.

· Speedily issue working permits for PBI field team members.
Easing of the restrictions is essential in continuing human rights and humanitarian work in the province.

Yours sincerely,

Please address your letter to the following contacts:

1. Your Member of Parliament

2. Hon. David Kilgour, Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
163 East Block, House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Fax: (613) 995-6465
E-mail: Kilgour@parl.gc.ca

3. Hon. Bill Graham (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
Lester B. Pearson Building
Tower A, 8th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0G2
Fax: (613) 996-2443
E-mail: Graham.B@parl.gc.ca

Emergency Update, 17 July 2003
Action requested

Current Situation

With the breakdown of the peace agreement between the Government of Indonesia and GAM (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, Free Aceh Movement) and the launch of the integrated military operation on 19 May 2003, the space for human rights and humanitarian workers to carry out their activities in Aceh has seriously decreased.
The situation has further deteriorated since the introduction of new restrictions on the activities of international and local NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations). Presidential Decree No.43/2003, issued on 16 June 2003, requires all foreigners to report their presence and activities to the military administration in Banda Aceh. Foreign workers and foreign journalists are forbidden from entering Aceh without special permits issued by authorities in Jakarta.
Military Decrees No.5 and No.6 VI/PDMD NAD/2003, announced on 26 June 2003, forbid local and international NGOs from holding large gatherings of people, issuing press releases or making public statements without specific permission from the military authorities. International NGOs with official authorization to work in Aceh are no longer allowed to travel outside the district capitals without permission from the military authorities. They are also forbidden from representing or implementing activities on behalf of local NGOs.
Since the beginning of martial law, PBI client organizations have reported they have had to reduce their level of activity because of the difficulties they face going into the field. Legal aid organizations have been unable to fully investigate cases, have been denied access to detainees in military detention centers. One of PBI’s client organizations is unable to travel outside major towns to provide counseling and rehabilitation services for victims of violence. Client organizations providing humanitarian assistance to IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) have been denied access to government sponsored IDP camps and have also been prevented from providing direct assistance to IDPs who do not reside in such camps. Although they have repeatedly asked for permission from provincial authorities to deliver their programs, such permissions have been denied.
PBI clients have reported an increased feeling of isolation and fear for their personal safety because of the current situation and the new restrictions on their work.

Area of Concern PBI’s Withdrawal from Aceh
Without obtaining special permission from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Office of Immigration in Jakarta, as well as from the military authorities in Banda Aceh, PBI volunteers are no longer permitted to enter Aceh. Despite making every effort to obtain such permission, PBI has so far been unable to do so.
As a result, PBI has had to shut down its office in Lhokseumawe as of Monday 7 July 2003. Several volunteers have already had to leave Aceh as they are no longer able to renew their visas in the province. PBI’s remaining four volunteers in its Banda Aceh office have been given permission to stay no later than 22 July 2003. As of that date, PBI volunteers are effectively excluded from Aceh until such time as special permission to return is received, as required by the new decrees. However, even with official permission to enter Aceh, the work of PBI, along with other international and local NGOs, will be severely restricted.
PBI client organizations have highlighted the continued need for an international presence in Aceh and continue to request PBI’s services despite the current limitations on our ability to work. It seems likely, however, that PBI will have to withdraw from the province, facing the possibility of not being able to return before the end of the current military operation. Although PBI will continue to support clients from outside Aceh, our client organizations have expressed strong concerns about PBI’s withdrawal and the decreased international presence in Aceh.
PBI hopes that our applications for special permits to enter Aceh will be speedily processed and that the government will review its current restrictions and regulations in order to limit any negative impact on human rights and humanitarian work in the province.

Background Information
Peace Brigades International (PBI) is an international, non-partisan volunteer organization dedicated to making space for peace in various conflict areas. The PBI Indonesia Project established itself in West Timor, Indonesia in November 1999, and opened an office in Jakarta in September 2000. PBI established a permanent team in Aceh in December 2000. Our West Timor desk officially closed in May 2002. The Aceh team was based solely in Banda Aceh until December 2002 when we established a second office in Lhokseumawe. PBI provides protective accompaniment for the following local NGOs in Aceh:
· RATA (Rehabilitation Action for Torture Victims in Aceh)
· Flower Aceh
· Koalisi NGO-HAM (Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations for Human Rights, Aceh) including PB HAM offices in Pidie, North Aceh, East Aceh, South Aceh and West Aceh districts
· SPKP-HAM (Solidaritas Persaudaran Korban Pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia Aceh, Association of Human Rights Abuse Victims)
· RPuK (Tim Relawan Perempuan untuk Kemanusiaan, Women’s Volunteer Team for Humanity)
· LBH (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum, Legal Aid Foundation) Banda Aceh
· LBH-Apik (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum-Asosiasi Perempuan Indonesia untuk Keadilan Aceh, Legal Aid Foundation-Women’s Association for Justice) Aceh
Background Situation in Aceh
Between 1989 and 1998, Indonesia’s north western-most province Aceh was designated as a Military Operational Area (Daerah Operasi Militer, DOM). In the context of counter-insurgency operations against the pro-independence armed opposition group, the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM), widespread human rights abuses including unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and ill-treatment, and “disappearances” were perpetrated by both sides.
The DOM was officially ended in August 1998, providing hope that the human rights situation in Aceh would improve. However the Indonesian security forces launched renewed operations in January 1999, in response to attacks on military and police, allegedly carried out by GAM forces. This led to a marked deterioration in the human rights situation as civilians once again became victims of the conflict.
The Henry Dunant Center facilitated a dialogue between the two sides, culminating in the signing of a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) on 9 December, 2002. This move signaled a significant breakthrough in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Aceh. The Government of Indonesia and GAM agreed to an immediate ceasefire and a gradual demilitarization of Aceh. Joint Security Council (JSC) monitoring teams were deployed in Aceh, each team comprising representatives from the Government of Indonesia, GAM and international observers from Thailand and the Philippines. Levels of violence throughout the districts dropped dramatically following the signing of the agreement.
However, in subsequent months increased violations of the COHA by both GAM and the security forces of the Government of Indonesia were reported. A series of mob attacks against JSC offices and members eventually resulted in the withdrawal of the JSC monitors from their field offices in April 2003. A final meeting between representatives of GAM and the Government of Indonesia was held in Tokyo but, with neither side willing to move from their respective positions, the negotiations ended in deadlock.

The implementation of Martial law in Aceh
The Government of Indonesia subsequently declared martial law in Aceh on 19 May 2003, for an initial six months, with the possibility for it to be extended for a further period. Concurrent with the imposition of martial law, an integrated operation was launched by the military authorities in Aceh consisting of four components: a military operation, a law enforcement operation, a humanitarian operation and an operation to stabilize governance in Aceh.
Levels of violence have risen dramatically since the declaration of a military emergency in Aceh. Hundreds of schools have been burned, major facilities destroyed, transport disrupted and the actual number of civilian casualties remains unclear. After a recent visit to Aceh, the National Human Rights Commission, Komnas HAM, reported evidence of arbitrary arrests of students and human rights activists, execution and torture of unarmed civilians, sexual harassment and forced displacement occurring since the military operation began. It also reported the discovery of several mass graves in the province. Abduction and violence towards journalists has also occurred.
The number of internally displaced people has risen dramatically as a result of the intensity of operations, with tens of thousands of civilians moved to government sponsored IDP camps. It has reported that facilities at some of these camps are inadequate to address their basic needs. The space for international and local humanitarian organizations to work has been drastically constricted by the security situation as well as by the recent presidential and military decrees. Journalistic access to Aceh has also been severely restricted.
A number of PBI’s clients have experienced threats and harassment, arrests and intimidation. Many activists have been forced to flee the province and to cease or significantly reduce their humanitarian and human rights activities. The space for international and local humanitarian organizations to work has constricted even further with the recent presidential and military decrees. Journalistic access and reporting in Aceh has also been severely restricted. It appears that the province is becoming increasingly closed to any outside observers.
Location of PBI Team Members
The Banda Aceh sub-team currently consists of Veronica Witteveen (Australia), Paola Carmagnani (Italy), Lucy Carver (United Kingdom) and Lina Andersson (Sweden).
The Jakarta sub-team currently consists of Anna-Paola Favero (Italy), Ben Lischner (United States of America), Norliza Mahjhrin (Malaysia), Lara Millsom (Australia), Isabelle Cartron (France), Mary Larkin (Australia) and David Shields (Australia).
Marie Pétard (France) and Jennifer Donohoe (Australia) are currently on leave.

Peace Brigades International - Canada
427 Bloor St. West, #202
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1X7
Tel: (416) 324-9737
Fax: (416) 324-9757
E-mail: pbican@web.ca
http://www.web.net/~pbican

Promoting nonviolence and protecting human rights since 1981