Friendly Spanish win Acehnese hearts

Friendly Spanish win Acehnese hearts

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Yanti loved playing near a sports field in Lampineung, Banda
Aceh, just to watch the Spanish troops help with relief efforts
in the tsunami-hit city. And she would wait for a treat.

"They (the soldiers) used to hand out candy and toys," smiled
the 11 year old.

The soldiers also won the hearts of students of SMU 4 senior
high school, located near the soccer field where the Spanish
military has set up base, since the soldiers helped clear their
school of mud and dirt deposited by the tsunami.

Spain was among the more than 30 nations that sent armed
forces personnel to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam to help with relief
and reconstruction efforts in the wake of the Dec. 26 disaster
that killed more than 125,000 people in the country.

In provincial capital Banda Aceh, the Spanish troops, who left
the country on Monday, left a deep impression among residents,
especially those living in Syiah Kuala and Cot Paya districts.

While they were busy clearing dirt and mud left by the tidal
waves, the soldiers remained friendly and smiled and waved at
passing residents.

Their friendliness was warmly welcomed by those living in fear
ever since martial law was declared in the province in 2003 and
then changed to a state of civil emergency last year.

While they were in Aceh, the Spanish soldiers helped clean up
schools, repair mosques, clean up debris and mud, install a water
purifier plant and sent doctors to shelters for displaced persons
and provided thousands liters of clean water, food and 2,000 toys
for children.

For the relief operation, they arrived with three helicopters,
two landing craft, a battalion of engineers, one combat support
unit, signal units, dozens of trucks and a civil military
cooperation team. The Spaniards and their equipment arrived on
the Galicia ship.

"We traveled across a third of the Earth to reach Aceh and
we're happy to be here," said Col. Antonio Fernandez from the
Galicia.

The ship traveled 9,656 kilometers and took 23 days to reach
Banda Aceh on Feb. 9.

One Spanish diver, Sgt. First Class Justo Jesus Picallo
Martinez, 36, died during a routine underwater operation to
inspect the hull of the Galicia.

The Spanish troops, who were in Aceh for 41 days, held a
farewell ceremony on board the ship before departing on Monday.

Capt. Antonio Fernandez said that they were leaving even
though the Indonesian government was allowing foreigners allowed
to remain in Aceh for another two months.

It's not only local residents who regret their departure, the
Spanish soldiers feel the same way.

Iswati, a Spanish citizen of Indonesian descent who was part
of the humanitarian mission team and worked as a translator for
the soldiers, felt sad to leave.

"I love the Acehnese, they're friendly. And the food is hot.
In Spain, we rarely find chili," she said.