Acheh and the muderously corrupt Indonesian military.

Latest estimates of the tsunami disaster put the number of dead in excess of 150,000, a half to two-thirds of those in the Indonesian province of Acheh with up to a million more Achenese affected. However if you look at the coverage of the disaster by the mainstream media networks, Acheh has received a disproportionate share of attention. Why is that? There are a few reasons – 1) up until the tsunami hit there have been tight restrictions on access for journalists and aid wokers into the region. 2) – The absence of foreigners in Acheh precludes any opportunity for the major media networks to present tear-jerking accounts of their own citizens caught up in the disaster and its aftermath.

For many achenese the tsunami disaster is just another episode in a long history of violence and terror inflicted on the achenese people. To understand the conflict in Acheh today requires an historical perspective - well summarised by this article.

The criminally corrupt Indonesian military (TNI) continues its campaign of terror and outright lies with government backing. For example, claims that military personnel formerly committed to wiping out any remants of achenese independence are now commiting themselves to the aid effort are laughable. Here are a few articles on the type of assistance being offered by the TNI.Here is another article detailing the latest cases of corruption and child trafficking by the Indonesian military in Acheh. Check out this website for more stories and links.