The Samaritan’s Purse group are not welcome in North Sumatra.

Samaritan’s Purse is an:

…international relief organisation providing basic necessities of life such as safe water, food, shelter, clothing and medical aid to millions of people in crisis situations. Founded in 1970, Samaritan’s Purse International is based in the U.S.

They have long been active in post-tsunami relief efforts in Aceh, but for no longer, it appears. Complaints were received from some in North Sumatra that the group was attempting to convert people to Christianity. In response to these complaints the North Sumatra regional parliament (DPRD) summoned the managers of Samaritan’s Purse on September 18th, 2006.

It seems that the matter was then forwarded to the relevant authorities in Jakarta because by September 30th one Raden Muhammad Syafi’i, chairman of the Reform Star Party (PBR) faction in the North Sumatra DPRD, was saying that he had received word from the national Social Affairs ministry that Samaritan’s Purse had just been ordered to immediately leave North Sumatra.

The Social Affairs minister has issued an order for Samaritan’s Purse to leave immediately and stop operating in North Sumatra.

He also claimed:

So, in the future, Samaritan’s Purse is allowed to operate only in East Nusa Tenggara.

Syafi’i went on to say twelve foreign NGO’s operating in Aceh were attempting to spread Christianity, under the diguise of a humanitarian mission.