Government, TNI wring their hands over foreigners in Aceh

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."