The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 January 2005: "Don't politicise tsunami"

Matthew Moore ('A war for all to see", Herald, January 15-16) claims "for many nationalists in Indonesia's parliament and the military ... the control of … foreigners is fast becoming a more pressing issue than caring for the tsunami survivors".

This assessment by Mr Moore is objectionable, with no regard to the outstanding work done by Indonesians and the TNI (Indonesian military) in Aceh, from running humanitarian missions, searching for survivors and protecting those involved in the relief effort, be they locals or foreigners. Failing to acknowledge this mammoth task will not only be taken as an insult by those dedicated servicemen, but it also shows the writer's insensitivity towards the suffering of the survivors.

He also writes that "the soldiers and sailors conducting aid work will be allowed to stay for only 14 days before having to seek a permit extension". Extraordinary events require extraordinary arrangements. Most foreign journalists, too, are subject to similar restrictions and are not granted special privileges enjoyed by Mr Moore as a permanent representative of his paper in Jakarta. This in no way hampers the humanitarian operations currently under way in the affected areas, as Jonathan Peariman reported in the same issue of the paper.

Quoting only his two Australian sources renowned for harbouring anti-Indonesian sentiments and [making] no effort to contact government sources shows the direction of Mr Moore's own thinking and that he is more interested in politicising the tsunami.


The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 January 2005 Don't politicise tsunami
Matthew Moore ('A war for all to see", Herald, January 15-16) claims "for many nationalists in Indonesia's parliament and the military ... the control of … foreigners is fast becoming a more pressing issue than caring for the tsunami survivors". This assessment by Mr Moore is objectionable, with no regard to the outstanding work done by Indonesians and the TNI (Indonesian military) in Aceh, from running humanitarian missions, searching for survivors and protecting those involved in the relief effort, be they locals or foreigners. Failing to acknowledge this mammoth task will not only be taken as an insult by those dedicated servicemen, but it also shows the writer's insensitivity towards the suffering of the survivors. He also writes that "the soldiers and sailors conducting aid work will be allowed to stay for only 14 days before having to seek a permit extension". Extraordinary events require extraordinary arrangements. Most foreign journalists, too, are subject to similar restrictions and are not granted special privileges enjoyed by Mr Moore as a permanent representative of his paper in Jakarta. This in no way hampers the humanitarian operations currently under way in the affected areas, as Jonathan Peariman reported in the same issue of the paper. Quoting only his two Australian sources renowned for harbouring anti-Indonesian sentiments and [making] no effort to contact government sources shows the direction of Mr Moore's own thinking and that he is more interested in politicising the tsunami.
Dino R. Kusnadi, Second secretary, Embassy of Republic of Indonesia Yarralumla, ACT