Susilo joins prayers with quake survivors<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Gunung Sitoli<\/p>\n
Three days after the 8.7-magnitude earthquake killed hundreds of
\npeople in Nias and two other islands in northern Sumatra,
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited the ravaged areas and
\ntalked to survivors.<\/p>\n
Braving heavy rain, he joined prayers for the victims outside
\na damaged Catholic church in Gunung Sitoli, the capital city of
\nNias, on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We are here to help, we will repair everything, have
\npatience,\" Susilo was quoted by AFP as telling a woman after the
\nservice in which prayers were said for the 25 dead, whose bodies
\nwere lined up in front of the church's broken bell tower.<\/p>\n
He conveyed his sympathy and solidarity for the victims,
\nalthough he said the giant quake was not a national disaster,
\nunlike the Dec. 26 catastrophe that left some 230,000 people dead
\nor missing and feared dead in Aceh and North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Susilo along with his entourage, including First Lady Ani
\nYudhoyono, ministers and senior government officials spent
\nseveral hours surveying several parts of Nias, embracing and
\ntalking to survivors and promising to help those who lost their
\nhomes in Monday's calamity.<\/p>\n
More than 500 people were confirmed dead by Thursday afternoon
\non the stricken islands of Nias, Banyak and Semeulue, and some
\n400 others were believed to have been trapped in rubble.<\/p>\n
Residents desperately trying to find their missing family
\nmembers were seen removing corpses with their bare hands, while
\nthe rescue work and evacuation efforts were still moving slowly
\ndue to the lack of volunteers and equipment.<\/p>\n
The President suspended his Australian trip scheduled for
\nTuesday to visit Nias.<\/p>\n
\"Today we, along with our leader, the President, surrender to
\nyou God, our brothers and sisters who have passed away,\" said 46-
\nyear-old school teacher Linus Zebua, who led the Christian
\nservice.<\/p>\n
Susilo, a retired Army general and a Muslim, later visited a
\nmosque and toured a military field hospital.<\/p>\n
Though Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country, the people
\nof Nias are mostly Christians. However, Muslims and Chinese-
\nIndonesian Buddhists coexist peacefully on the island of 700,000
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Susilo ordered North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin to
\ncoordinate with the local administrations in Nias in conducting
\nrecovery and relief operations, since the disaster was not as
\nterrible as the calamity just three months ago.<\/p>\n
\"Nias and South Nias regental administrations have the
\ncapability to conduct humanitarian efforts, so the task should be
\ndone by the North Sumatra provincial government,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the local administrations should focus on the
\nevacuation of victims, distribution of relief supplies, fuel and
\npower during the emergency relief operation.<\/p>\n
Several ministers promised to dispatch food, medical relief
\nand heavy equipment to support the relief and recovery efforts.<\/p>\n
Many foreign countries, including the United States,
\nAustralia, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, are sending emergency
\nrelief aid to Nias as an expression of solidarity for Indonesia.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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