State of emergency now<\/p>\n
If the government is so keen to impose a state of emergency in
\nAceh, now is the best time to do it. While at it, the government
\nshould also declare a state of emergency in North Sumatra and
\nWest Sumatra. We are of course talking about a different kind of
\nstate of emergency, not the kind that unleashes the military to
\nresume its repressive measures or brutal attacks on innocent
\ncivilians in Aceh, but the kind which hopefully can draw national
\nand international attention to the plight of people affected by
\ndevastating floods and landslides in Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's response to news of the major natural disasters
\nwhich have afflicted the three provinces in Sumatra this past
\nweek is far from satisfactory. Like other responses to earlier
\npolitical and economic crises, there was a disturbing air of
\n\"business as usual\" among Jakarta's elite. While thousands of
\npeople in Sumatra are fighting for their survival in floods and
\nlandslides, the political elite has been fighting each other,
\nbickering mostly over petty issues, for their political survival.<\/p>\n
Floods and landslides have devastated a large part of Sumatra,
\nfrom the central to the upper half of the island. By Thursday
\nmorning, the total death toll in West Sumatra, North Sumatra and
\nAceh exceeded 100. Tens of thousands of others have been
\ndisplaced. Many towns and villages in West Sumatra remain cut off
\nfrom the rest of the world.<\/p>\n
The costs of natural disasters have reached catastrophic
\nproportions. Help in the meantime has been slow in coming. Apart
\nfrom problems with logistics support, the central and local
\nadministrations are simply not properly stocked with supplies of
\nfood, medicine and other things needed to deal with major
\nemergencies.<\/p>\n
What good would a declaration of a state of emergency in the
\nthree Sumatran provinces do? A lot. To start with, it would end
\nthis \"business as usual\" attitude of people in Jakarta. It would
\nstartle the largely indifferent government to act, hopefully with
\nthe right kind of response. It would immediately elevate the
\nproblem, particularly the human cost caused by the disasters, to
\nthe national political agenda and hopefully it would prompt the
\npolitical elite to put aside their petty bickering and start
\naddressing the real problems the nation is currently facing.<\/p>\n
A declaration of a state of emergency would mean greater
\ncoordination at the national and regional levels in the way
\nrelief supplies are collected and distributed. A state of
\nemergency would delineate clear lines of responsibility among the
\nvarious government officials and agencies, and therefore prevent
\nthe confusion that seems to always reign each time Indonesia is
\nfaced with this kind of emergency situation.<\/p>\n
We can still recall the farce over the relief operation after
\nthe earthquake in Bengkulu early this year, such as when well-
\nmeaning foreign paramedics were turned away because Indonesia was
\nnot prepared to accept their presence. Many foreign governments
\nand local and international agencies also did not know where and
\nhow to channel their aid then.<\/p>\n
The government may be in short supply of aid, but, as with all
\nother human tragedies, there is never a shortage of people in
\nthis country and abroad who are willing to lend a hand. Some
\nprivate organizations, including big newspapers such as Kompas,
\nhave started a fund-raising campaign to help victims of the
\nSumatra disasters. A state of emergency by the government would
\nbetter coordinate these various private initiatives, and prevent
\nthe overlapping of various works in the field.<\/p>\n
The administration, with the support of the House of
\nRepresentatives, should get into the habit of declaring a state
\nof emergency when and where it matters most. Natural disasters of
\ncatastrophic proportions like we have seen in Sumatra this week
\ncertainly merit the consideration of such a status. To people in
\nthe afflicted area, it could mean the difference between life and
\ndeath.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/state-of-emergency-now-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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