A heartfelt thank you<\/p>\n
Miles away from the areas rendered unrecognizable by the tsunami,
\nwe sense survivors' anxiety, as the deadline has come for foreign
\ntroops to leave those areas.<\/p>\n
Even without today's deadline, representatives of foreign
\ncountries and their armed forces, who have been working in
\nNanggroe Aceh Darrussalam and North Sumatra, have said they would
\nneed about three months only to conclude relief work. In the last
\nfew weeks some 3,000 soldiers and also those working for a few
\nhundred foreign and international agencies, have handed over
\ntheir responsibilities to the locals, after working along with
\nthem, saying they are confident that the people are now able to
\ntake care of themselves.<\/p>\n
To all those leaving, we thank you from the bottom of our
\nhearts. Without you there was no way we could come anywhere near
\nto \"the conclusion\" of emergency relief work and the \"shift\" to a
\nphase of reconstruction and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n
In the words of survivors, the troops from more than a dozen
\nnations were impressive in their dedication. Like the workers and
\nvolunteers of non-governmental and governmental organizations,
\nthe soldiers treated patients with tenderness, evacuated bodies,
\ndistributed goods, cheered up children and adults, cleared debris
\nand tried to save remaining fishing boats. Helicopters and
\nwarships landed in places that had been cut off by the tsunami.
\nThere were troops with sophisticated equipment, and others from
\nless wealthy countries, whose sole mission was to help wherever
\nthey could and who did so with spirit.<\/p>\n
But all this good work -- for which survivors, their relatives
\nand countless others are thankful for -- was tarnished by the
\nembarrassment felt following remarks that foreign troops should
\nleave as soon as possible. It was said that the troops might have
\nulterior motives for acting like Good Samaritans, and thus might
\neven be a threat. Military leaders were quick to retort that the
\nappeal for help had come from the Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nitself, given both the unprecedented scale of the tragedy and the
\nlimited resources of Indonesia, including the TNI.<\/p>\n
The damage was done; government officials kept contradicting
\none another regarding \"deadlines\" for all foreign agencies,
\nforeign troops, or both -- as if bowing to pressure from certain
\nquarters and forgetting that the survivors might have entirely
\ndifferent views. Under the perceived threat of anyone seen to be
\n\"encroaching on Indonesia's sovereignty\" many forgot the teaching
\nof our elders -- to treat our guests like kings.<\/p>\n
Instead suspicion reared its head and rumors surfaced. Either
\nbecause people were convinced that watching out for spies was a
\ntop priority -- even while survivors struggled to stay sane -- or
\nbecause the presence of foreign troops was a good opportunity to
\nsow jingoism for political interests.
\n Either way, extreme nationalism or belligerence was not the
\nresponse of the Acehnese.<\/p>\n
What some of them did remark on was the stark difference
\nbetween Indonesian soldiers and foreign ones. That while the
\nlatter were clearly engrossed in a humanitarian mission, many of
\nour soldiers went about their duties in a gung-ho manner; perhaps
\nunderstandably given that their main mission to Aceh, before the
\ntsunami was to crush the rebels. Hence the anticipated reports of
\nsoldiers harassing distressed people rather than aiding and
\ncomforting them.<\/p>\n
The world has witnessed the professionalism and discipline of
\nthe armed forces of many nations, and of many others engaged in
\nrelief work in Aceh and North Sumatra. Their response has been
\nmagnificent and deeply appreciated.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-heartfelt-thank-you-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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