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Overview
Large-scale internal displacement in Indonesia first began after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, as economic and political instability, separatism, and ethnic and religious tensions escalated throughout the country. As of 2002, there were an estimated 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Indonesia, 750,000 of which are under the age of 18. The IDP/refugee problem is very recent and the Indonesian government has yet to address it adequately.
Distribution
The causes of the IDP problem include ethnic, religious and separatist violence throughout the republic, as well as natural disasters, and economic hardship and instability. The majority of IDPs come from the conflict regions of Maluku and North Maluku, Central and West Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and East Timor. The ongoing Moslem/Christian conflict in Maluku and North Maluku has produced the largest number of IDPs - an estimated 400,000. Violence against Madurese in West Kalimantan in 1999 caused 60,000 to flee their homes to the capital city, Pontianak, and ethnic violence in 2001 caused approximately 100,000 to flee to East Java and the island of Madura. There are also large numbers of IDPs from Sumatra and Sulawesi. Around 80,000 refugees from East Timor remain in camps in West Timor, awaiting repatriation or resettlement. About half of Indonesia's refugees live in temporary camps, while the remainder are housed in private homes.
Most of the food and shelter needs of IDPs/refugees are being met by a combination of government and international assistance. However, health care and education has often been substandard in the temporary camps, due to limited resources and damaged infrastructure. Further, amongst the IDPs, unemployment is a major concern as communities are reluctant to integrate the IDPs, and many refugees do not wish to settle permanently in their new location.
For more information on regional IDP situations, please see the regional briefs in the Regions section.
Government Response
The government provides a limited amount of assistance to IDPs, including housing, education, medical assistance and food aid, and cooperates with several UN agencies and international NGOs. In the fall of 2001, a new government policy was enacted to address this issue. Through the new policy, the government aims to solve the IDP and refugee problems currently facing Indonesia by the end of 2002, by implementing one of the three options in each case. The first option entails returning IDPs to their places of origin. However, many believe that this option is unrealistic, as conflict situations persist in many regions. Repatriation has been aggressively pursued in the case of refugees in West Timor. The second option is to improve IDP's situations in their current locations and to empower them so that they wish to and are able to stay. Many believe that this option is also unrealistic in most cases, for host regions are often unwilling to accept the IDPs on a permanent basis. The third option consists of resettling IDPs in new locations. This option is very costly. Further, it is a risky strategy, as IDPs may refuse to relocate. The government began its relocation project in late December 2001 with an allocated budget of 1 billion rupiahs. Many observers are skeptical that the ambitious government campaign to eradicate the IDP situation will succeed in the aggressive timeframe that has been set.
International Response
International relief agencies are involved in assisting the internally displaced population in Indonesia. The UN Development Program (UNDP) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinate relief efforts in the country. Other UN programs include the World Food Program (WFP), which provides food to IDPs. The World Health Organization (WHO), UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) have conducted assessments of health conditions, the situation of displaced persons, and the plight of children, respectively.
International NGOs that assist IDPs in Indonesia include Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Action Contre la Faim (ACF), World Vision International (WVI), Oxfam, Mercy Corps, CARE, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Foreign government organizations such as USAID and AusAID have also provided funding to the Indonesian government and to local NGOs.
For more information on IDPs and refugees in Indonesia, see the following resources:
"IDPs in Indonesia: Is there a quick fix?" by Michael Elmquist
Sesama Newsletter, No. Specimen - January 14, 2002
Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal 2002 for Internally Displaced Persons in Indonesia
Updated April 2002
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