The forgotten refugees
Fr Adrianus Suyadi, Country Director, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Indonesia, writes on the IDP’s and refugees in Indonesia and the government’s policy and behavior towards them.
JRS-Timor Leste: Government Strategy for Return and Reintegration of IDPs
Walking around Dili city, one can no longer see the IDP camps. But for those who lost their homes during the crises of 2006 and 2007, their wait for “safe return and reintegration” is far from over.
Though reintegration of the IDPs into their communities started since 2008, there are still around three thousand people living in transitional houses. They are not able to return to their original homes for several reasons: concerns regarding their security, ongoing land disputes over ownership, illegal occupation of their houses, and some don’t have any place to stay.
Holy Week in Mae Hong Son Refugee Camp
It was indeed a privilege to share this rare and intimate moment with the refugees in the camp. They alone know and yet do not know that the drama of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is literally played (truly anamnesis) within the confines of the refugee camps, in their very lives.
Mr Cheng Guan is now JRS-Singapore Director
Mr Cheong Cheng Guan assumed the post of Country Coordinator of the Jesuit Refugee Service Singapore last February 21. He brings in his skills and experiences in management and finances having been in the Banking and Finance Industry for 25 years. His first encounter with ]RS was during a mission trip to a refugee camp in Thailand. Since then he has been involved in various activities of ES Singapore including Information and Advocacy sub- committees, the subcommittees in support of IRS Thailand and Cambodia projects and organizing the World Refugee Day Masses.
Sri Lanka: Doing all they can to prevent further bloodshed
The Jesuits first went to Sri Lanka hundreds of years ago, not long after the time of Francis Xavier in the 16th Century. Many Sri Lankans became Catholics. The Jesuits opened parishes, schools and colleges, especially for Tamil migrants from India, who worked as labourers in the tea and coffee plantations. After independence, the previous balance between the two ethnicities of Sri Lanka, Tamils (of Sri Lankan origin) and Sinhalese, became more and more distorted.
A Medal for Sr Denise
Special congratulations to Sister Mary Denise Coghlan, AM, who was officially presented with the Order of Australia at a ceremony at the Australian Ambassador’s residence on Wednesday.
Australian ambassador Margaret Adamson presented the award on behalf of the Governor General of Australia to Sister Denise for “service to international humanitarian aid.”
Jesuit Refugee Service in East Timor
After re-establishing itself in Dili, East Timor in October 2007, the Jesuit Refugee Service embarked on a journey to provide emergency community assistance to the internally displaced people (IDP) in Dili. It was decided to start small due to the instability of the political and security situation. JRS selected six camps for the displaced people hosted by the religious congregations/Catholic Church, namely, the Fransiscan’s Convent in Taibesi, the San Jose Jesuit High School, Canossian’ s Convent and the Minor Seminary all in Balide, and the Canossian’s and Salesian’s School in Comoro.
JRS-AP Updates
Helping in Daru-Kiunga
From the 8-18 February 2007, Fr David Holdcroft (Country Director, JRS Australia) and Fr Bernard Arputhasamy (Regional Director, JRS Asia-Pacific) visited the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga, Papua New Guinea. The Diocese of Daru-Kiunga is in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The Bishop of the Diocese, Gilles Cote, SMM, invited JRS to consider assisting him in the service of refugees in the Western Province, sharing the border with West Papua. There are about 10,000 West Papuan refugees in here.