Aceh Community Coalition Demands Fulfillment of Disaster Victims' Rights

ACEH - A mass of people belonging to the Aceh Community Coalition demands the fulfillment of human rights for victims of the flash flood and landslide disaster that hit a number of areas in the westernmost province of Indonesia.

The demand was conveyed by the Aceh Community Coalition in a demonstration in front of the gate of the Aceh House of Representatives (DPRA) building in Banda Aceh, Tuesday, December 16.

In the action, the masses carried posters of the aspirations of the flood victims, including "Waiting for the Right to a Decent Life", "Human Life is Not a Commodity for Sale", "Sumatra's Wounds are the World's Wounds", and others.

Crisna Akbar, the person in charge of the demonstration, said the action was a response to the state in handling disasters in three provinces on the island of Sumatra.

"The coalition considers the slow handling of disasters to reflect the state's failure to fulfill its basic obligations to the state, especially those who are victims of disasters," he said, quoted by Antara.

In the perspective of human rights, he said, this condition has the potential to become a human rights customer, especially to ensure decent living conditions as well as the right to a good and healthy environment.

In addition to fulfilling the rights of disaster victims, the Aceh Community Coalition mass urged the central government to declare disasters in Aceh Province, North Sumatra Province, and West Sumatra Province as national disasters.

The determination of the national disaster, he said, was because the scale of the impact and the disaster area was so wide, the number of strategic infrastructure was damaged, as well as the capacity of local governments in handling emergencies and long-term recovery.

"The designation of a national disaster is not merely an administrative decision, but a crucial instrument to save lives, accelerate recovery, and prevent wider human rights violations," said Crisna Akbar.