The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) has expressed “deep sadness” over the Australian government’s decision to curb the number of refugees entering the country from Indonesia. Following the decision, Australia will stop the resettlement of refugees who had registered with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Indonesia on or after July 1.
Red, a former military man, lost his legs in 1982. The cause? A land mine – one of many the Khmer Rouge scattered in various parts of Cambodia during its rule.
At 53, Red now works with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), counselling families who have also been affected by these explosives. On November 4, he took Bishop-elect of Salford and Auxiliary Bishop in Westminster, John Arnold, to a militarised zone at the Thai border to visit three of these families.
Almost two months after Tropical Storm Washi hit, the devastation it wreaked is “old news” for the media, but for the many people, the devastation it caused is very much a reality from which they are trying valiantly to recover.
Housing and the loss of income are major issues. In the villages of Ponod and Pantar, the villagers have found a way to derive an income from the debris.
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) published in January its strategic framework for the next four years, upon receiving approval of the document from Father General Adolfo Nicolás SJ. The product of extensive consultation throughout 2011, the Jesuit Refugee Service Strategic Framework 2012-2015 provides an inspirational and challenging set of strategies for all 10 JRS regions.
Xavier University has started to help resettle survivors of Tropical Storm Washi. Thousands were rendered homeless by the flash floods that wiped out parts of Cagayan de Oro City in Southern Philippines on December 16 and 17, 2011.
An estimated 20 million people across Southeast Asia have been affected by flooding since June. Most are in Thailand, but typhoons struck the Philippines in October, and Laos was hit by cyclones in July and August. About 1.8 million people in Cambodia and Vietnam are also suffering from the worst flooding in a decade. Myanmar also is experiencing flooding, though the extent is unclear because little information has been released from the country. Local media there reported some 30,000 people were hit by flash floods last month that killed more than 160.
Fr Bambang Sipayung SJ has been appointed Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service-Asia Pacific. His three-year term begins on June 1, 2012.
Fr Sipayung replaces Fr Bernard Arputhasamy SJ who has served the region with dedication and competence for nearly seven years.
In his letter of appointment, Father General Adolfo Nicolás said that Fr Sipayung’s rich field experience will be “a great asset to JRS”.
Floods have devastated Cambodia since August and at the beginning of October had affected 1.2 million people. Tess O’Brien, a volunteer with Jesuit Refugee Service in Cambodia, provides an update.
Sister Denise reflects on her 20+ years working in Cambodia and how she is motivated by her faith and a sense of justice. She highlights the challenges facing people with disabilities, of post-conflict reconciliation, and rebuilding trust. She also discusses the legacy of the Khmer Rouge in relation to families and society in Cambodia today. Faith-inspired organizations are an important link between the policy and community levels. Sister Denise stresses that faith-inspired organizations must be experts in their field; faith alone is not always sufficient to make lasting contributions. Finally, she describes her international work on landmines and cluster bombs, which won her team a Nobel Peace prize.
In June last year a solitary Uighur from Xinjiang Province in China arrived in Phnom Penh seeking asylum. He registered his claim with the Cambodian Government and with UNHCR.