Protesters attack Aceh tsunami reconstruction office
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, Sep 20 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Indonesian
protesters vented their anger on Wednesday against the state body
tasked with reconstructing tsunami-hit Aceh province, throwing stones
at police and the agency's office.
The mob, which had camped outside the office since Tuesday night,
accused the reconstruction agency, BRR, of sluggishness in providing
decent housing for survivors of the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami that
left 170,000 killed or missing and half a million homeless in Aceh.
The rally turned violent after police tried to disperse the crowd,
which in return showered the officers with stones, officials said.
"The stone-throwing damaged police facilities including two
cars. We decided to disperse the crowd because they had been staying
outside the BRR office beyond the timeline that we gave them,"
said Banda Aceh deputy police chief Dedy Setyo.
He said the stones hit several policemen but did not dent the BRR
building.
Most of the protesters were among those still living in temporary
wooden barracks for tsunami survivors that dot areas surrounding
the provincial capital Banda Aceh.
They have long demanded the government provide them the permanent
housing already constructed for many residents of other devastated
coastal areas.
BRR says it has coordinated the building of more than 40,000 houses
for tsunami survivors across the province.
The agency is under fire after a leading Indonesian anti-graft
group last month accused the body of financial irregularities in
five of its projects worth 23.9 billion rupiah ($2.6 million).
Some BRR officials said the report was inaccurate and could affect
disbursement of funds from foreign donors. However, agency chief
Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said several staff were being investigated.
International agencies and countries have poured $4.6 billion into
the reconstruction of Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra island
after it was hit by the devastating tsunami that left up to 232,000
people dead or missing in a dozen Indian Ocean nations.
AlertNet Sept 29
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