Government, TNI wring their hands over foreigners in Aceh

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Riyadi Suparno, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The government and the military are caught between a rock and a hard place regarding the presence of more than 2,000 foreign nationals in disaster-hit Aceh.

On one hand, foreign countries and aid workers are demanding wider access to Aceh, while domestic, nationalistic groups are calling on the government and military to put some limitations on foreigners' access to and movement in the province.

Head of the disaster mitigation task force in Aceh, Alwi Shihab, who is also coordinating minister for people's welfare, revealed that he had received criticism from many countries on the perceived lack of access into the province.

"We have opened our doors wide to them, but still they deem it limited. People may think we are putting humanity behind security, but we're not," he told The Jakarta Post.

"However, if we thought we were able to handle things by ourselves, it would mean the work of foreign relief workers and military here was done."

The United Nations has at least 30 major international organizations, 30 middle-scale international organizations, nine agencies, hundreds of volunteers and military personnel from several countries under its coordination in handling aid distribution and the provision of facilities, including clean water, education and health for survivors.

The disaster mitigation task force based in capital Banda Aceh has recorded at least 1,125 foreign relief workers and 1,307 soldiers deployed in the province.

In the operation, relief workers are backed by military personnel who fly helicopters to isolated, damaged areas as earthquake-triggered tidal waves severed land and sea transportation.

The U.S. has deployed 12 helicopters to the province, while Singapore and Malaysia are sending one each, while France is planning to send five.

UN estimates up to five years of work in Aceh that includes four months of providing emergency response, the rehabilitation of road, telephone lines and schools and to help Acehnese recuperate from the trauma as well as with the reconstruction of Aceh.

People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nurwahid earlier urged the government to give a deadline of one month for foreign troops to leave Aceh, which was followed by a statement by Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, who stated on Monday that the their presence would be reviewed two weeks after their arrival in Aceh.

Endriartono acknowledged, however, that the government was relying on them to bridge the shortfall of the TNI's limited capacity, and that their presence in Aceh would be needed for some time to come to help reduce the suffering of the Acehnese.

"In my opinion, we should not impose a time limit in relation to the roles of foreign nationals in Aceh. The target should be how far their help is still needed. If one week is enough, then we could say one week is enough. But if we need them for two or three months, why should we ask them to pack and go while the Acehnese are suffering?" Endriartono said.

One international aid worker reacted with indignation to the suggestion that people viewed the presence of foreign nationals in Aceh negatively, saying that even the U.S., in the wake of 9/11, received help from foreign countries, a practice he said was common in international society.

"Too bad if the Indonesian government sidelines the world's commitment to help the Acehnese. It's not that we underestimate its capability, but without the help of other countries, the aid handling would take a long time and would not be effective," the worker said.

"As for the presence of military personnel ... they're not here for a military operation. They're here to help in the relief work."