V

ice President Boediono on Tuesday inaugurated the ASEAN Regional Forum Disaster Relief Exercise (ARF DiREx) in Manado, an event organized jointly by Indonesia and Japan.

“Indonesia is prone to disasters, so this activity is necessary to educate people in coping with disasters,” the Vice President said at the inauguration ceremony.

Boediono, who was accompanied by visiting Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Makiko Kikuta, said the exercise also demonstrated Indonesia’s preparedness in managing disasters.

Indonesia’s joint relief team later demonstrated their skills in sending aid via air to a disaster area and assisting disaster victims. The team comprised members of the Air Force, the Navy, the National Search and Rescue, and the Red Cross.

A disaster management team from the host province showed off a number of vehicles used for disaster relief efforts, including a rescue boat, before the guests.

ARF DiREx will run from March 14 to 19 in the North Sulawesi capital and is expected to draw up to 3,000 participants from 20 member countries.

ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan expressed his appreciation of Kikuta’s attendance at the event despite the situation in her home country, which is reeling from the aftermath of a massive earthquake and tsunami, and now faces the threat of nuclear radiation after the quakes caused explosions at nuclear reactors in Fukushima.

In a nationally televised statement, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Tuesday radiation had spread from the four stricken reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant along Japan’s northeastern coast.

The region was shattered by Friday’s 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that is believed to have killed more than 10,000 people, plunged millions into misery and pummeled the world’s third-largest economy.

“We really appreciate what Japan is committed to even though it is facing a situation it never experienced before. We wouldn’t be able to hold this exercise if Japan didn’t stay true to its commitment,” Surin said in a press statement sent to Antara news agency.

He added, however, that the Japanese government could not send some of its rescue team members, as well as disaster relief vehicles and equipment as planned because they were engaged in rescue measures
at home.

Disaster management is one of five areas of cooperation between members of the East Asia Summit, which includes the 10 ASEAN states and Japan.

The ongoing ARF DiREx is a follow up to similar events in the Philippines in 2009 and Indonesia in 2008. Surin also expressed in his statement ASEAN’s readiness to help Japan cope with the disaster.

“We are together in this and ASEAN governments are ready to support Japan according to the needs of the Japanese people,” he said.

Kikuta arrived in Manado on Monday and will be in Indonesia until Thursday.