Yudhoyono leads Aceh's tsunami survivors in Eid mourning

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AFP) - The Muslim Eid al-Adha festival was a sombre, subdued affair in deeply religious Aceh, with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono leading tsunami survivors in prayer and mourning.

Making his third visit to Aceh since the massive earthquake and tsunamis claimed over 166,000 lives there nearly four weeks ago, Yudhoyono attended 7.30 am prayers at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in the devastated capital of Banda Aceh. "I ask our brothers and sisters here to look ahead, to rebuild Aceh for a better future," Yudhoyono told reporters afterwards. He said he travelled to Aceh for Eid, the most important date in the Muslim calendar, "to show our solidarity, our unity, our togetherness to overcome the problems".
But on a day that is traditionally celebrated with family gatherings, the mood across Aceh, Indonesia's northernmost province of the tip of Sumatra island, was one of continued grief as people reflected on their lost relatives.

"I only have my granddaughter with me now," Hayatun binti Azmar, 32, said as she sat on her prayer mat inside the centuries-old Baiturrahman mosque long after Yudhoyono and the rest of the crowd had left. With her three-year-old grandaughter standing mutely by her side, Hayatun said she lost her daughter, son-in-law and a nephew in the floods. Lebaran only reminds me that we are all that is left of our family," she said, referring to Eid by its Acehenese name.
The December 26 earthquake off Sumatra triggered giant waves which crashed into the shores of 11 Indian Ocean nations killing nearly 220,000 people. The worst-hit countries were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
Aceh is the most devout province in Indonesia, which is the world's most populous Muslim nation, and a widespread belief that the disaster was a call from God to end a long-running separatist conflict was again in focus during Eid.
The mufti at the Baiturrahman mosque devoted much of his sermon to the conflict, urging both the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the government to act on their post-tsunami statements that they want peace.

The nature of Aceh has risen to speak and give humans a sign... this disaster is a warning," the mufti said.
"It is our hope that the GAM and the government of Indonesia halt their enmity and let us together raise Aceh... a policy of forgiving (on both sides) is very much hoped for."
His urgings come amid mixed signals from Indonesian authorities about their intent in ending the conflict.

While the government has said it is trying to broker peace talks, the military announced on Thursday it had killed 120 rebels over the past two weeks and would continue to launch attacks unless the insurgents surrendered.

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UN deploys ship to bring food to Indonesian coast ahead of foreign military departure

 
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (AP): The UN agency in charge of helping feed tsunami victims said on Sunday it was for the first time deploying a ship to deliver food to ravaged areas on the west coast of Indonesia's Aceh province.

The move to open a new transport channel for bringing food to the thousands of homeless survivors of the Dec. 26 tsunami comes ahead of the planned withdrawal of foreign troops. The U.S. military -- which has been providing key support to the relief operation, flying dozens of helicopter sorties a day delivering aid supplies -- has said it is beginning to withdraw its forces from the region and will leave by the end of March. On Sunday, a 400-ton landing vessel will arrive in the coastal city of Calang for its first aid delivery, said World Food Program spokesman Gerald Bourke.
Thousands of victims have gathered there at a makeshift camp built among the ruins of the former city, which was totally destroyed by the tsunami. A 3,000-ton ship also was steaming from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to join the smaller craft that will help it unload more supplies.
The western coast of Sumatra island has been receiving food supplies mostly through helicopter drops, but relief workers now hope to leave a one-month's supply in Calang of rice, noodles, biscuits, fish and vegetable oil, Bourke said. The WFP also hopes to increase its fleet of helicopters to 10 aircraft from the current two, Bourke said.

The tsunami devastated the coastal road linking cities along Sumatra's western coast, meaning many places are now only reachable by ship or helicopter.

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