Bush, Clinton take tour of grim tsunami sites
Bush, Clinton take tour of grim tsunami sites
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
Amid tight security, former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and
George Bush senior toured Banda Aceh on Sunday to see directly
the havoc caused by the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster.
On board a large Chinook military helicopter, the former
presidents toured several places in the city, including the
sea front Lampu'uk area, one of the hardest hit areas in Aceh.
The scale of destruction in the area made the three hour tour
an emotional one for both presidents, who were tightly guarded by
Indonesian and U.S. security personnel.
"I have never seen anything like this in my life, ever," said
Bush. "What we have seen on television is just a small part,"
Clinton added. "We have seen it with our own eyes."
During the visit, the two presidents also used the opportunity
to take a close look at a white mosque in Lampu'uk, which was the
only building left standing in the area. The concrete building
defiantly withstood the power of the tidal wave, in contrast to
the buildings surrounding it.
Lampu'uk was one of the villages that bore the full brunt of
the tsunami. Of its 7,000 residents, only about 1,000 survived.
Around half of survivors now live in several camps near the area,
while others live in camps in other villages.
Clinton and Bush were greeted by a group of tsunami victims
upon arriving the area. Meeting the crowd, both former presidents
asked the residents what they needed most.
In return, excited residents fielded requests for help to
Clinton and Bush, including building permanent homes and sending
children back to school.
"I want to return to school so that I can be a pilot someday,"
said Aulia Rahman, 12, a tsunami survivor from Lampu'uk in Lhok
Nga, Aceh Besar regency.
Aulia lost his father and a younger brother in the disaster.
Responding to requests by local residents, Clinton promised
that houses and schools would be built soon. He also stressed
that the concerned parties had to restore the capacity of
fishermen and rice farmers in the area, so that they could again
fish and grow crops.
He said that Americans and people in other parts of the globe
stood ready to help the victims of tsunami, including those in
Aceh.
Around US$400 million has been raised from the U.S. public
while the U.S government had committed to contribute US$960
million for tsunami affected areas in the region, including Aceh,
said Clinton.
"The estimated cost for complete recovery in the entire region
is over $11.5 billion," he said.
Before flying to Banda Aceh, both Clinton and Bush earlier
held a brief talk with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in
Medan, where they discussed what the Indonesian needed most in
the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts in Aceh.
The foreign help is badly needed as Indonesia alone could not
bear the burden of tsunami disaster. The biggest disaster ever
has displaced over 400,000 people and killed over 120,000 people
in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces only.
Clinton and Bush senior visited the stricken province of Aceh
at the appointment of President George Walker Bush. Both former
presidents headed private U.S. fundraising efforts following the
disaster. Clinton has also been named a special envoy of the
United Nations for tsunami relief efforts.
After visiting Aceh, both former presidents flew to Sri Lanka
and Maldives before returning home to U.S.
Graft -- Page 2
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
Amid tight security, former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and
George Bush senior toured Banda Aceh on Sunday to see directly
the havoc caused by the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster.
On board a large Chinook military helicopter, the former
presidents toured several places in the city, including the
sea front Lampu'uk area, one of the hardest hit areas in Aceh.
The scale of destruction in the area made the three hour tour
an emotional one for both presidents, who were tightly guarded by
Indonesian and U.S. security personnel.
"I have never seen anything like this in my life, ever," said
Bush. "What we have seen on television is just a small part,"
Clinton added. "We have seen it with our own eyes."
During the visit, the two presidents also used the opportunity
to take a close look at a white mosque in Lampu'uk, which was the
only building left standing in the area. The concrete building
defiantly withstood the power of the tidal wave, in contrast to
the buildings surrounding it.
Lampu'uk was one of the villages that bore the full brunt of
the tsunami. Of its 7,000 residents, only about 1,000 survived.
Around half of survivors now live in several camps near the area,
while others live in camps in other villages.
Clinton and Bush were greeted by a group of tsunami victims
upon arriving the area. Meeting the crowd, both former presidents
asked the residents what they needed most.
In return, excited residents fielded requests for help to
Clinton and Bush, including building permanent homes and sending
children back to school.
"I want to return to school so that I can be a pilot someday,"
said Aulia Rahman, 12, a tsunami survivor from Lampu'uk in Lhok
Nga, Aceh Besar regency.
Aulia lost his father and a younger brother in the disaster.
Responding to requests by local residents, Clinton promised
that houses and schools would be built soon. He also stressed
that the concerned parties had to restore the capacity of
fishermen and rice farmers in the area, so that they could again
fish and grow crops.
He said that Americans and people in other parts of the globe
stood ready to help the victims of tsunami, including those in
Aceh.
Around US$400 million has been raised from the U.S. public
while the U.S government had committed to contribute US$960
million for tsunami affected areas in the region, including Aceh,
said Clinton.
"The estimated cost for complete recovery in the entire region
is over $11.5 billion," he said.
Before flying to Banda Aceh, both Clinton and Bush earlier
held a brief talk with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in
Medan, where they discussed what the Indonesian needed most in
the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts in Aceh.
The foreign help is badly needed as Indonesia alone could not
bear the burden of tsunami disaster. The biggest disaster ever
has displaced over 400,000 people and killed over 120,000 people
in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces only.
Clinton and Bush senior visited the stricken province of Aceh
at the appointment of President George Walker Bush. Both former
presidents headed private U.S. fundraising efforts following the
disaster. Clinton has also been named a special envoy of the
United Nations for tsunami relief efforts.
After visiting Aceh, both former presidents flew to Sri Lanka
and Maldives before returning home to U.S.
Graft -- Page 2