Acehnese told to lead reconstruction

Acehnese told to lead reconstruction

Agencies, Lampu'uk, Aceh

The Acehnese people, along with other Indonesians, should lead the reconstruction of tsunami-battered Aceh province with only assistance from the international community, a US envoy said here on Sunday.

"The reconstruction of Aceh can only be done by the people of Aceh and Indonesia. It is their country," head of the U.S. Presidential Delegation to Indonesia for Tsunami Commemoration Andrew Natsios told journalists after meeting local villagers in this devastated coastal village.

Natsios, who is also administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), said the international community, including the United States, could only "help and support the reconstruction."

He said communities should be mobilized to conduct reconstruction with the help of outside groups and donors.

While meeting villagers, Natsios asked one local elder, Muhamad Dahlan, the most important thing he needed for his community.

"What is most important is that this mosque is renovated. This is a historic mosque and the only structure to survive. One of the reasons for us to return here is that the mosque is still standing," Dahlan said.

Lampu'uk, some 12 kilometers southwest of Banda Aceh, was leveled by the tsunami triggered by the massive earthquake that struck on Dec. 26. The squat mosque was the only structure left standing.

Dahlan said tractors were also desperately needed to enable farming communities to work their land again.

Natsios said he was visiting the communities to "help them to get their work done, to support them and to provide capacity building".

Although many have criticized the reconstruction process in Aceh as too slow, it was better to rebuild carefully and in full consultation with local people, he said.

"If you do it correctly, it takes longer because you have to consult the community, you have to do the planning correctly, you have to think and make sure that there is no corruption in the projects," he said.

Natsios arrived in Aceh on Saturday for a two-day visit to lead a U.S. presidential delegation to commemorate the Indian Ocean tsunami.

On Sunday morning, Natsios toured Lampu'uk, dedicating a new USAID-funded water facility and laying a wreath at mass grave for tsunami victims in nearby Lhoknga.

He later witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with state-run Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh for the U.S. to provide US$14 million to help improve the quality of education and teacher-training in Aceh.

"The American people continue to be fully committed to helping the citizens of Indonesia and other affected nations to rebuild," he said, while praising the Acehnese people for their "commitment to persevere through difficult times."

Natsios then opened a special "One Year After" exhibition of photos and videos illustrating Tsunami relief efforts in Banda Aceh, along with Acting Aceh Governor Azwar Abubakar.