Indonesia asks for region-wide early warning system
Indonesia asks for region-wide early warning system
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Rendi Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Several Asian countries will set up a region-wide tsunami early
warning system following untold death and destruction in
Indonesia, as well as 10 other countries, President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono says.
Speaking before the stock market and business community in
Jakarta on Monday, he said the early warning system would be
planned during a one-day summit in Jakarta on Thursday.
"We have been discussing with several countries in the region
the plan to set up an early warning system after an earthquake
and tidal waves crushed Aceh and North Sumatra on Dec. 26,"
Susilo said.
He said the warning system would not only alert people prior
to future tsunamis, but also to other natural disasters,
including earthquakes and landslides, in order to minimize the
number of casualties and destruction.
State Minister of National Development Planning Sri Mulyani
Indrawati said after a Cabinet meeting on Monday that the
establishment of the early warning system would be declared by
world leaders attending the upcoming emergency summit.
Such a system existed in the Pacific Ocean, but needed to be
developed to cover the Asian region, she added.
"The details of the regional early warning system will be
discussed by the Office of the State Minister of Research and
Technology," Sri said.
The summit, to be hosted by the Indonesian government, is
aimed at gathering more international assistance, particularly
for reconstruction work in the worst-hit areas, presidential
spokesman Dino Pati Djalal said.
"We are aiming to establish an action plan ... It's not just a
matter of seeking financial aid but other kinds of assistance,"
he said.
Dino said that during the summit, world leaders would hear
presentations by the worst-hit countries such as Indonesia, Sri
Lanka and India, so that the donor countries could decide upon
the best ways in which to support them.
"We hope there will be an effective discussion between the
world leaders in the coming summit after they hear the
information directly from the suffering countries," he remarked.
The summit plan was initiated by President Susilo after the
catastrophe that killed more than 94,000 people in Indonesia
alone.
Dino said that a number of world leaders had confirmed their
attendance at the one-day summit, including United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
United States Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. special
envoy Jeb Bush are scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Tuesday and
visit Aceh along with Annan.