Tsunami's silver lining

Two weeks after the colossal Indian Ocean tsunami struck 14 countries, including Indonesia's province of Aceh, massive aid work is going on in the province. Troops and civilian aid workers, local and foreign, are working around the clock to reduce the suffering of the Acehnese. More than 110,000 Acehnese perished in the catastrophe out of 155,000 in the region. The scene on the ground in Aceh today would have been unimaginable before disaster struck on Dec. 26. The province had been virtually closed to outsiders as government troops have been fighting Acehnese rebels since May 2003 under a military operation. To their credit, leaders of the Indonesian Military and Free Aceh Movement both appealed for a cease-fire soon after the tsunami struck.

The interesting thing brought about by the tsunami was how a nation reeling from endless ethnic and religious strife in recent years came to unite for Aceh.

A casual daily observation of Jakarta's congested streets shows that motorists are reluctant to give way to others. Selfishness and a "me first" mentality seem to be rampant. The impression will duplicate itself when one visits other big cities in the country. But when the tsunami hit the westernmost province, affecting an area about the size of half South Korea, those seemingly selfish urbanites united to help Aceh.

How can we explain this seemingly contradictory behavior? We are not talking here about their rural compatriots who generally live in a more altruistic tradition. The populace throughout the country, both urban and rural, were stunned and humbled by the horrendous magnitude of the calamity. Suddenly, they were reminded that there is a mighty force out there that defies imagination. Like the suddenness of the disaster, will the empathy toward the Acehnese also be momentary?

Today, massive aid organizations are at work involving virtually all sectors of the society. They are citizens, professionals, businessmen, religious organizations and NGO activists working shoulder to shoulder with government troops who were stationed there when the disaster struck. Numerous fund- raising activities were organized and volunteers flocked into Aceh. It was a beautiful moment cherished by all even though it has not been seen in many years. Indonesians have a right to be proud of the open display of unity.

Aid also poured in from the eastern island of Ambon in Maluku, a region which has yet to recover from its years of Christian- Muslim conflicts.

The high level of altruism displayed domestically was complemented by unprecedented help from the international community. No less than five heads of states, 12 foreign ministers and 19 observers and leaders of international organizations converged in Jakarta last Thursday pledging no less than US$5 billion in financial aid. We should show our gratitude by expending the fund for relief aid and Aceh reconstruction in the most responsible way possible.

The problem is more internal than external.

The possibility of unscrupulous people exploiting the disaster for their own interests is very real. A report on The Herald Tribune over the weekend said that police in Denmark and Austria had nabbed suspects who took advantage of the tsunami disaster by collecting donations for their own ends through conventional methods and e-mail fraud. With almost half of the potential workforce of 100 million unemployed it is difficult to imagine that fraudulent schemes related to the tsunami would not happen here. Certain individuals and companies, including those with questionable track records, have exploited the disaster to boost their own image.

We are often ranked as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. Our penchant to hurt ourselves by failing to eradicate this evil, the consequence of which may be bigger than the tsunami disaster, is legendary.

In fact, social illnesses abound. One simple case is Jakarta's notoriously congested traffic. The capital incurs Rp 48 billion (US$4.8 million) in losses in fuel, time, manhours and health costs in one day.

We also like to offer impunity to those who should be punished for crimes or human rights abuses. And we like to treat local governments unjustly, including Aceh.

Over time this breeds suspicion and Aceh's long-held distrust toward the central government is not totally unjustified. The government should seize this beautiful moment when all the people are united behind Aceh, to restore the trust of the Acehnese toward it.