Social Minister Gives Assistance to Buton Social Disaster Victims

JAKARTA (July 12, 2019) - Indonesian Social Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita handed over social assistance to victims of social unrest in Siotapina District, Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, totaling Rp2.9 billion in Jakarta on Friday.

"Hopefully this assistance will benefit the community members and the residents of the two villages can return to live side by side in harmony and peace," the Minister said to reporters after handing over aid.

The Minister of Social Affairs gave symbolic assistance to the Governor of Southeast Sulawesi, witnessed by the Regent of Buton, and the Village Apparatus of Siatapina, the Head of Gunung Jaya Village, Religious Leaders and Traditional Leaders of Gunung Jaya Village, Youth Leaders of Gunung Jaya Village, Head of Sampuabalo Village, Customs and Religious Leaders Sampuabalo Village, Youth Leader of Sampuabalo Village.

The Minister said that social assistance for victims of social unrest in Siotapina District worth Rp2.9 billion was distributed in two stages. First, in the form of heirs compensation for two dead victims and Logistics Assistance valued at Rp973,349,625.

Second, in the form of House Assistance Material Assistance, Shelter Content Assistance, Productive Economic Business Assistance, Social Harmony Assistance and Local Wisdom Assistance worth Rp1,918,000,000.

The Minister said that social protection for victims of natural and social disasters is the responsibility of the government. One form of social protection effort is Social Aid for victims of social disasters.

"This is at the same time a form of state presence for citizens who are victims of social disasters," he said.

He said, on various occasions, President Joko Widodo mandated that the handling of disaster victims always receive top priority.

For this reason, continued the Minister of Social Affairs, social assistance must be delivered as soon as possible so as to ease the burden of suffering for the victims and their families.

Based on Law No.24 of 2007 concerning Disaster Management, Social Disasters are disasters caused by events or series of events caused by humans including social conflicts between groups or between communities, and terror.

Social Disasters are caused by economic differences, differences in political understanding between communities, discrimination, injustice, neglect, ignorance, or the limited insight of a group of people.

"Social disasters will adversely affect citizens. Property losses, human lives, and damage to social order and institutions. So at the momentum of this meeting I invite the public to maintain tolerance between people so as to create harmony, harmony and peace amid differences," the Minister said.

Handling of victims of disasters needs to receive a comprehensive, professional, systemic and sustainable attention by involving community participation.

"The state is always present in problems in society but the state cannot solve it alone so we always have to support each other, work together to solve it," said the Minister.

He said what needed to be corrected was bad prejudice, because everything started from perception which was then engineered into an issue. At present the most important thing is how we look for patterns of social integration.

"The key words are to keep negative prejudice away because it can cause social conflict in the community. We must believe that no matter how severe the conflict is provided we have a cold heart and mind then everything can be resolved," he said.

In the same place Governor Ali expressed his gratitude to President Joko Widodo, who was quickly responsive after the disaster, and the ministers and staff were ready to assist in handling.

He said at the time of the conflict in Buton District, at the same time South-East Sulawesi residents experienced floods in a number of cities and districts.

"Assistance and support from the ministers, to the TNI / Polri are very swift and swift. Likewise the Ministry of Social assistance delivered directly by the Minister of Social Affairs along with his staff readily flows so that the community recover quickly," he said.

To note the riots occurred June 6, 2019 in Gunung Jaya Village and Sampuabalo Village, Siotapina District. The incident was triggered by a misunderstanding between a group of Youth of Sampuabalo Village who was passing in Gunung Jaya Village. As a result of this event, two people died, 61 housing units and 30 units of shops were burnt down, and residents of Gunung Jaya Village took refuge in 3 refugee locations.

The Ministry of Social Affairs fielded a Team from the Directorate of PSKBS to conduct a quick review. The Team provided Psychosocial Support Services at the evacuation site and distributed assistance to residents affected by social disasters.

Also present to accompany the Minister of Social Affairs was Director General of Social Protection and Security Harry Hikmat, Special Staff of the Minister of Social Affairs Febri Hendri, and Head of the Public Relations Bureau Sonny W. Manalu.

Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs

Sonny W. Manalu