TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Japan to strengthen ties over disaster issue

Japan-Indonesia Parliamentary League chairman Toshihiro Nikai and an entourage from the Japanese Embassy in Indonesia visited Aceh to strengthen ties between the country and the province, especially regarding disaster response

Hotli Simanjuntak (The Jakarta Post)
Banda Aceh
Fri, November 27, 2015

Share This Article

Change Size

Japan to strengthen ties over disaster issue

J

apan-Indonesia Parliamentary League chairman Toshihiro Nikai and an entourage from the Japanese Embassy in Indonesia visited Aceh to strengthen ties between the country and the province, especially regarding disaster response.

During the special visit to Aceh, Nikai and the entourage visited a number of sites connected to a massive tsunami in 2004, such as the Tsunami Museum, a mass grave, a floating diesel power station (PLTD) and the Escape Building.

While at the mass grave, the group took time to pray and pay homage to the victims of the tsunami buried in it. Nikai expressed sympathy.

'€œJapan and Aceh have several similarities, especially in the field of disasters. That'€™s why we wish to strengthen the good relationship between Japan and the Aceh administration so we can cooperate in disaster affairs in the future,'€ Nikai said after visiting the floating PLTD site.

The common condition of being prone to natural disasters is expected to pave the way for both parties to share experience on disaster mitigation in order to minimize the number of victims in the event of another earthquake and tsunami.

'€œOne of the actions we would immediately carry out is connecting the Aceh and Japan tsunami museums as soon as possible,'€ said Nikai.

According to Nikai, connecting the museums with each other is important for the near future, so both parties can share knowledge on disaster mitigation.

During a special meeting with Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah, Nikai asked the Aceh provincial administration to share its experiences and invited it to visit Japan. '€œWe are very grateful and pleased to share our experience on disaster affairs. We warmly welcome the invitation,'€ said Zaini.

Nikai disclosed the plan by Indonesia and Japan to propose World Tsunami Day on Nov. 5. He said he would bring 1,000 Japanese people to Aceh to immediately meet with the community.

The date was taken from the tsunami that hit Japan 160 years ago. During the tsunami, there was an effort made to light a fire on a hill so as to attract people, who would then see what was coming and run to avoid being hit by the huge wave.

Besides discussing disasters, the Japanese entourage also wished to improve the relationship between Aceh and Japan, especially in the fields of economics, culture and tourism.

Aceh, located in a quake-prone area, was hit by the tsunami on the morning of Dec. 26, 2004, following a massive earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale.

The tsunami killed more than 170,000 people, destroyed about 120,000 homes, displaced 500,000 survivors and damaged 800 kilometers of coastline, equal to the distance between Jakarta and Surabaya. It was the worst natural catastrophe in the world over the last 50 years.

{

Your Opinion Counts

Your thoughts matter - share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.