But a little common courtesy might be appropriate!
Vice President Yusuf Kalla said foreign troops should leave tsunami-hit Aceh province on Sumatra island as soon as they finish their relief mission, staying no longer than three months.
"Three months are enough. In fact, the sooner the better," Kalla was quoted by the state Antara news agency as saying.
Another article states:
Foreign aircraft and ships bringing supplies into Banda Aceh, the hub of the humanitarian effort following the December 26 disaster that killed more than 100,000 people in Aceh, will also no longer have unrestricted access.
Sutarto said a military officer will now be placed on board all foreign aircraft and ships and they would be given clearance to operate in the province for a maximum of 14 days.
Sutarto said the measures were needed to protect foreign aid workers from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting for independence since 1976 -- a rebellion which the military has violently suppressed.
The rebels' supreme commander Muzakir Manaf, in a statement, condemned the move and accused the government of "dispatching false news about our forces engaging in harassments of aid delivery".
He said the rebels would guarantee the safety of all international volunteers.
Aid officials in Aceh and an analyst rejected Sutarto's assertions, saying there was no threat from rebels to the relief effort.
Yahoo has the original articles. The initial link is to the Moderate Voice, with a HT to Dean Esmay.
Over at the Rott, one of the Emperor's Loyal Citizens, Destarius (you'll have to scroll or use ctrl+F), makes an astute comment on this issue:
There have been many allegations of human rights abuses in Aceh for many years, and it is entirely possible that the government is sensitive to NGOs and relief workers now flooding the area. If the allegations are true, then this would be the opportunity for the locals to tell their story.
It's not just a question of Islam - for example, China remains especially sensitive over the Tian Nan Men incident, and Russia over Chechnya. Where there are allegations of human rights abuse, governments would typically not want foreign intervention. Given the scale of the disaster, immediate assistance could not be refused, but it's not surprising that Indonesia wants everyone out quickly.
In summary, I think it's important to understand that there may be a logical reason for what appears to be a shocking lack of gratitude, although I leave the morality of the government's action for you fine folks to judge.
*sigh* More proof - like I really needed it - that we do not live in a perfect world....
Recent Comments