BY NURDIN HASAN (THE JAKARTA GLOBE)
 |
| Acehnese women pray during the eighth years tsunami anniversary at Malahayati Harbor in Krueng Raya, Aceh Besar on Wednesday, December 26, 2012 PHOTO - NURDIN HASAN |
Banda Aceh, TAG – The people of Aceh on
Wednesday solemnly marked the eighth anniversary of the devastating
earthquake-triggered tsunami that killed some 170,00 people in the Indonesia’s western
most province in 2004. The day was marked with joint prayers, visits to the
many mass graves, art performances and film screenings on disaster
preparedness.
The main
commemoration, attended by thousands of people, was held at the Malahayati
Harbor in Krueng Raya, Aceh Besar district, some 30 kilometers north of the
capital Banda Aceh.
“Aceh is not
the only region that has the potential to be hit by disaster. Almost all of
Indonesia has the potential to be hit by disaster,” Aceh Governor Zaini
Abdullah said, adding that the ceremony was not intended to reopen old wounds,
but to remind the people of Aceh to be more aware of disasters and better
prepared to face them.
He said
tsunamis and earthquakes were not the only type of disasters that could hit
Aceh, citing floods and landslides as equally threatening and blaming humans for
contributing to the causes of natural disasters.
“In their
greed, humans have destroyed forests, seas, lakes, and others, so that the
balance of nature is affected,” Zaini said, adding that those acts reflected “man’s
lack of care for nature.”
He called on
all to step up alertness and guard against potential disasters by gaining a
better understanding of the factors involved in the various threats. He said
the public, at the subdistrict level, should form disaster-focused communities
to further educate the population and help mitigate natural disasters’ impacts.
Speaking during
the commemoration, Faizal Adriansyah of the Indonesian Association of
Geologists said the 2004 disaster should provide a lesson to all of Indonesia.
“We cannot
possibly be free from disaster, as our region is a disaster-prone one, but most
important is that we should live along with disaster, always alert in facing
disasters with disaster mitigation efforts when they take place,” the
association head said.
Faizal added
that while no one was hoping that disaster struck, disaster mitigation efforts
were crucial nonetheless to help reduce the number of victims in such
circumstances.
Faizal cited
the case of the people of Simeulue islands, whose local wisdom in dealing with
earthquakes and tsunamis was credited with saving many lives in 2004, when
Simeulue saw remarkably few casualties despite its coastal population.
“We should
always be prepared and turn to local wisdom in our lives,” he said.
Inhabitants of
quake-prone Simeulue are taught to immediately leave buildings and flee to
higher ground when tremors are felt.
The
commemoration at Malahayati was also attended by eight teachers from the Miyuko
state high school in the Japanese prefecture of Iwate.
Osagawara Jun, speaking
for the group, said they had intentionally come to Aceh to bring the Acehnese’s
fighting spirit for survival back to their children in Japan, who were victims
of a major tsunami themselves in March 2011.
“I myself also
experienced the strong earthquake and the big tsunami on March 11 last year.
From the second flood of my school, I could see the black wall of water coming.
Many died and many have also remained missing since,” Osagawara said.
He said his
region was still recovering after the tsunami and added that by working hand in
hand, the two disaster-stricken peoples could build a better future.
“Share your
smile with us, let us together fight for a better future,” he said.
He added that
both Indonesia and Japan had suffered incalculable losses because of major
earthquakes and tsunamis over the years.
“The sadness
and bitterness cannot be healed, even with time,” he said.
But time
appears to have helped heal many of Aceh’s wounds, and few tears were shed as
Tengku Jamaluddin Wali, a leading Aceh ulema, led a joint prayer for those who
lost their lives in the 2004 disaster.
Prayers were
also held at mosques across Aceh and many also brought flowers and their
prayers to the mass graves for the unidentified tsunami victims scattered along
the north and western coasts of Aceh.
At the Tsunami
Museum in Banda Aceh, 39 communities of creative youths also held a joint
prayer, followed by a poetry reading, art performances and the screening of
documentaries on disaster mitigation. That event was also attended by thousands
of people.
On Dec. 26,
2004, a massive 9.3-magnitude earthquake hit the Indian Ocean just west of the
northern tip of Aceh.
The epicenter
of the quake was some 160 kilometers west of Aceh and it sent devastating
tsunami waves across the region, reaching as far as Africa’s eastern coast.
The tsunami
killed some 230,000 people in 14 countries along the rim of the Indian Ocean,
some 170,000 of whom were killed in Aceh.[]
Aceh Marks 8 Years Tsunami
Reviewed by theacehglobe
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December 27, 2012
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Reviewed by theacehglobe
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December 27, 2012
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