The Australian, 4 April 2005: "Indonesia did its best after the Nias quake"

I WOULD like to take issue with the assertion (1/4) that the Indonesian Government has somehow bypassed or at the very least been slow in responding to the twin tragedies that have occurred on the island of Nias because of so-called religious antipathy. The Indonesian Government's policy is based on a comprehensive assessment of the devastation and suffering, not on religious preponderance. Indonesia is a secular state, and does not differentiate on geographic, religious, cultural or any other grounds.

The scale of the disaster of 26 December, 2004, was beyond anyone's comprehension, and no one will deny that Aceh was not by far the most seriously affected. If only the resources at our disposal were infinite, then perhaps we could have done more. With the latest tragedy in Nias, the Indonesian Government acted to revise its master plan for disaster-stricken areas.


The Australian 4 April 2005 Indonesia did its best after the Nias quake
I WOULD like to take issue with the assertion (1/4) that the Indonesian Government has somehow bypassed or at the very least been slow in responding to the twin tragedies that have occurred on the island of Nias because of so-called religious antipathy. The Indonesian Government's policy is based on a comprehensive assessment of the devastation and suffering, not on religious preponderance. Indonesia is a secular state, and does not differentiate on geographic, religious, cultural or any other grounds. The scale of the disaster of 26 December, 2004, was beyond anyone's comprehension, and no one will deny that Aceh was not by far the most seriously affected. If only the resources at our disposal were infinite, then perhaps we could have done more. With the latest tragedy in Nias, the Indonesian Government acted to revise its master plan for disaster-stricken areas.
Trini G. Sualang Embassy of Republic of Indonesia Yarralumla, ACT