Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / ASIA-PACIFIC
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
Thursday, 6 January, 2005, 10:04 GMT

Tsunami summit under press scrutiny

Water aid supplied from US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln

The Indonesian press applauds the international response to the Asian tsunami disaster, as donors meet in Jakarta to co-ordinate the relief efforts.

One paper says the aid should come with no strings or lectures attached.

Others examine the debt moratorium and how the image of the US in the region has changed.


The summit presents an opportunity for Indonesia to express its great appreciation for all the help and the expression of solidarity... The magnitude of the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami has made us humble before the powers that nature has over mankind. But we are even more humbled by the generosity shown by people all around the world.

Jakarta Post


The tsunami summit is proof of the world's serious attention to the misery which Aceh and North Sumatra have suffered... The summit has become a turning point for the world's trust and a big gamble for Indonesia at the same time: Does our nation deserve to be trusted?

Media Indonesia


Sincerity alone is not enough. The people who come to help must also be sensitive to the feelings of local people and governments. They are guests here, no matter how important they are and how desperately they are needed. It is unacceptable to offer sermons or lectures along with aid.

Jakarta Post


There is a kind of sadness in our hearts when we ask whether the world's massive response to the disaster is related to the government's helplessness, or the foreigners' lack of trust in us, so that they find it necessary to deliver the assistance themselves. You decide! ... Is the USS Abraham Lincoln in Aceh to save the people of Aceh or to save the US assets in Aceh? You decide!

Swaramuslim website


With its massive humanitarian operations for the tsunami disaster victims in Asia, the United States will get a new image as a helpful and humane nation. It is no longer dubbed a destructive superpower, and it will be called a constructive one. The Indonesian nation, for example, can now see that the extremely destructive US war machines, such as the USS Abraham Lincoln, have been turned into effective humanitarian aid command centres. The US Sea Hawk helicopters no longer fire missiles but drop food and transport to quake victims.

Suara Pembaruan


We need to respond quickly to the offer of a moratorium on foreign debt repayments from creditor countries because this will help a lot. But, the government, in this case the minister of finance, has been seen as being slow to seize the offer.

Suara Merdeka


Objectively, the moratorium on debt repayment is an ethical and logical measure taken by the donor countries, in this case sponsored by Germany. The Indonesian government should learn a valuable lesson from this disaster. The government must at least be open to accepting aid from others.

Bali Post


It is a great pity if ordinary people and businessmen have done much to help, whereas current and former government officials have lost their sense of crisis. If it is true that former heads of state... have not been moved to raise funds for Aceh, it is really regrettable.

Waspada


BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.




E-mail this to a friend

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
The Jakarta Post
Media Indonesia
Suara Pembaruan
Suara Merdeka
Bali Post
Waspada
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©