Jakarta blocks tsunami orphan adoptions
Jakarta (AsiaNews) In response to yesterday's news about alleged "trade in human lives", Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that his government has not authorised any adoptions in tsunami-stricken Aceh.
Following an emergency meeting in his private residence in Jakarta with some cabinet ministers and top security officials, President Susilo reiterated that "adopting children and infants is strictly prohibited so as not to allow human trafficking".
In recent days, claims by the Muslim-based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) had led to a flurry of rumours about children being bought and sold near the rehabilitation camp in Medan (North Sumatra)a series of alphanumeric messages had been sent to via mobile phone urging people to adopt "tsunami orphans".
To put an end to "any possible trade", President Susilo said his government did not have "any policy concerning orphan adoptions and that if any had taken place they were wrong and illegal" adding that "it was the government's responsibility to take care of children as well as the elderly". For this reason, he ordered national police chief General Dai Bachtiar to prevent "illegal adoptions by unknown parties".
The issue became so important that Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah "ordered the police to curb all illegal adoption by unknown parties". Previously, he had released a statement according to which only "Aceh residents had the right to adopt orphans" as recommended by the hitherto little known Aceh Agreement Association (Asosiasi Kesepakatan Aceh or AKA).
Life in tsunami-stricken areas is never the less slowly getting back to normal.
In one of the hardest-hit areas, Banda Aceh, television showed people moving around. Public and private banks have opened their doors, traditional markets such as Lambaro Market are full of people and there no longer are queue at gas stations. Public transport is also back in business.
Meanwhile, the death toll has reached 95,000 and rescue workers are still hard at work trying to find bodies.
According to Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab, "the military and the police as well as thousands of volunteers have managed to remove at least 4,000 corpses in the city from under the rubbles, hanging from trees and laying on roof tops".
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