Jakarta Globe, Nurfika Osman & Putri Prameshwari, June 17, 2010
An Indonesian humanitarian team seeking to take aid to the stricken Gaza Strip with the help of the Iranian Navy says the effort has fallen through, and it has instead devised an unusual plan to show its support for the people of the occupied territory.
“We’re going to collect letters from Indonesian children, community leaders, public figures and others who are concerned about the Gaza issue, and take them over in a pinisi boat,” Joseri zal Jurnalis, director of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee, said on Thursday. A pinisi is a traditional Indonesian sailing craft.
He said the campaign was to raise awareness about the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, and to show solidarity with them.
“Solidarity can be expressed in many ways,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be through sending humanitarian aid. It can also be through an event like this.”
Joserizal returned to Indonesia from Iran on Tuesday, where he discussed efforts to get a Mer-C aid shipment into Gaza through Egypt with the help of the Iranian Navy.
He said the authorities had agreed, but their schedule for sending in aid and volunteers did not give Mer-C time to prepare.
“It was too sudden, and we couldn’t make it,” he said.
Mer-C had sent four other members to the region in anticipation of the shipment. One of them, Nur Fitri Taher, is expected home from Turkey today, Jose rizal said, while the others will also be back soon from Jordan.
The volunteers had been awaiting visas to enter Egypt and get into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. “But their request was denied by the Egyptian Embassy, and they’re returning home, too,” Joserizal said.
He called on all interested parties to join the pinisi venture, and said volunteers from South Africa and Malaysia were expected to join with their own ships.
Joserizal said the venture would cost an estimated Rp 3 billion ($327,000), which Mer-C is still collecting. “We already have Rp 1.1 billion, so we hope to do this soon,” he said.
He said the three ships would meet in the Mediterranean Sea, and from there sail to the Gaza Strip.
The mission will be a repeat of the Freedom Flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces on May 31 for trying to breach the blockade on Gaza.
Nine people were killed in the incident, and two of the 12 Indonesians on board were injured by gunfire from Israeli commandos.
One of those shot, Surya Fahrizal from the Friends of Al Aqsa, is expected back in Indonesia on Sunday. He will receive follow-up care for his gunshot wound at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital, Joserizal said.
Five of the Indonesians in the flotilla returned home two weeks ago to a heroes’ welcome, including Okvianto Baharudin, the other Indonesian shot in the raid on the Mavi Marmara.
The four others are Ferry Nur, head of the Indonesian Committee for Solidarity With Palestine (Kispa), Kispa deputy head Mu hendri Muchtar, Harjoti Warno, and TVOne reporter Muhammad Yasin.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said that during a bilateral meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, both governments had agreed to take a stand to highlight the attack on the humanitarian fleet.
“We talked about how we could increase the role of Indonesia and Malaysia in Palestine,” Marty said.
Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman said his country would work with Indonesia to try to end the blockade of Gaza.
On Thursday, Israel announced it would ease the land blockade of the territory but would leave the naval cordon in place.
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