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View all search resultsRestless Aceh
We do believe that the President would be able to deliver his March deadline and people will wait patiently as long as they are convinced by the ongoing process.
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A boy collects firewood on Jan. 2, 2025, from piles of logs carried by landslides in Toweran Uken, Lut Tawar, Central Aceh, Aceh. (Antara/Irwansyah Putra)
V
ictims of natural and man-made disasters in three provinces in Sumatra demanded that President Prabowo Subianto declare a national emergency. Still, people and government leaders in Aceh were more outspoken, with some even hinting they could rebel again when the President rejected their demands.
The disaster victims in three provinces acknowledged that the government worked hard for them. Still, poor coordination among state agencies often makes the bureaucracy an obstacle to humanitarian aid delivery. In their responses, government officials at the regional and national levels tend to take a defensive stance.
In mid-December, the President promised that the government would restore conditions in affected areas to normalcy within three months, meaning the target will be achieved in March.
Aceh suffered the most from the November and December floods and landslides compared to North Sumatra and West Sumatra. Governor Muzakir Manaf sent an "SOS" message to international organizations. The former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leader was so frustrated with the central government's slow response that he chose to shout. But it was seen as an embarrassment for the central government.
President Prabowo understands that he had to respond wisely, as the province had been in revolt against the central government for nearly three decades. Only after the December 26, 2004, tsunami devastation did the rebels and the central government agree to end the civil war.
It is also very clear that the President would not change his mind on his refusal to declare a national disaster for his own reasons.
But whatever the President's choice, it is clear that the present government's way of working is too slow, according to people in the disaster areas. It should be fixed quickly. The rainy season will likely last until February.
