Aceh on the right road<\/p>\n
Too slow is how critics often describe the reconstruction work
\nbeing carried out in Aceh. We are of a different opinion. We do
\nnot reject the critics' findings, as much as the yardsticks they
\nuse. The Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency
\n(BRR) was only set up in April, four months after the tsunami
\nstruck on Dec. 26, 2004. If an assessment were done today, we
\nwould only be able to judge the agency based on nine months of
\nwork, which is still less than a year.<\/p>\n
And if somebody asks why it took so long for the government to
\nestablish the BRR, one should remember that the Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono government had only been in office for two months when
\nthe tsunami struck. And his government had inherited many crises
\nfrom previous governments. That it was able to pick the right
\ncandidate for the job is praiseworthy. Former minister Kuntoro
\nMangkusubroto, who heads the BRR, is one of the best bureaucrats
\nthe nation has ever had.<\/p>\n
With his characteristic transparency, Kuntoro wanted to make
\nsure that the US$7 billion in grants entrusted to him for Aceh's
\nrecovery would not be wasted. And he is being called on to
\naccomplish this in a country notorious for its corruption. So
\nmuch so that his openness and straightforwardness has drawn the
\nire of certain unscrupulous Jakarta officials. It is indeed a
\nchallenge to stay clean at a mud festival.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the BRR's critics can be forgiven because the figures
\ncoming out of Aceh could easily drive one to despair. Take
\nshelter, a basic need, as an example. More than 110,000 people
\nare still living in tents, but only 26,000 permanent shelters
\nhave been built by the BRR as of today.<\/p>\n
The BRR hopes to finish building 110,000 houses by 2007, an
\namazing pace considering the conditions on the ground. The
\nprovince at the time of the tsunami was a conflict zone.
\nGovernment troops had been fighting Acehnese insurgents for three
\ndecades. Thus, until recently, peace-time yardsticks for
\nassessing progress could not be applied there. A peace agreement
\nbetween the government and the insurgents was only signed in
\nAugust. Everybody should be aware that it takes some time before
\ntensions diminish after a war.<\/p>\n
Just to refresh our memories on the scale of the catastrophe,
\nmore than 170,000 Acehnese perished, half-a-million people were
\nleft homeless, an 800-kilometer-long band of Aceh's western
\ncoastline was devastated, 3,000 kilometers of road were damaged,
\n2,000 schools were destroyed and 60,000 hectares of agricultural
\nland were ravaged. In the economic sphere, nearly 400 SMEs in
\nAceh and North Sumatra have been wiped out or been badly affected
\nby the tsunami.<\/p>\n
The killer waves generated by a 9.2-on-the-Richter-scale
\nearthquake hit 12 countries around the Indian Ocean rim, killing
\nmore than 216,000 people and displacing two million others.
\nIndonesia and Sri Lanka were the hardest hit.<\/p>\n
As if the Aceh calamity was not enough, another quake
\nmeasuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Nias island in the
\nneighboring province of North Sumatra in March, killing nearly
\n1,000 people.<\/p>\n
In fairness, any governmental agency faced with such a
\ndisaster would be confronted with the same problems. One year is
\ntoo short a time to complete a herculean task. A lot of
\nchallenges and hard work lie ahead. Frustration may not be far
\nbelow the surface, but the government has made the right start.<\/p>\n
As we bow our heads in remembrance for the hundreds of
\nthousands who perished in the tsunami, we must also remember the
\nrelief efforts by both the local and international community.
\nTheir precise and timely responses to the disaster helped stave
\noff possible outbreaks of disease that could have easily resulted
\nin a second disaster.<\/p>\n
To all involved -- governments around the world, aid agencies,
\nthe private sector and millions of charitable individuals --
\nIndonesia will forever be grateful. Their combined donations to
\nthe tsunami victims in the 12 affected countries amounted to an
\nunprecedented $12 billion, including $5 billion donated by
\nindividuals. Today, more than 400 local and international NGOs
\nare still working in Aceh.<\/p>\n
In line with the peace agreement, a former Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) leader, Tengku Kamaruzzaman, is now working hand
\nin hand with the BRR. Kuntoro has publicly credited him for his
\ncontribution to the agency's work. The unfolding peace process
\nfollowing the tsunami should be maintained.<\/p>\n
We are convinced that the Acehnese do not stand alone. Their
\ncompatriots and the international community will always be at
\nhand in difficult times. We must all do our best to ensure that
\nAceh's recovery becomes reality.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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