Director Kuntoro Mangkusubroto,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am greatly honoured to host this important activity together with Dr. Kuntoro, Director of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR).
 
That all of you have taken time to come here today speaks highly of your commitment to continue helping the survivors of the tragedy of 26 December 2004. With that help, they can the sooner start a new life and attain their dreams and aspirations. At the same time, the rebuilding and rehabilitation of their communities could also serve as a model for development in all of Indonesia.

Let me therefore express once again the gratitude of the Indonesian Government and people for the outpouring of compassion, solidarity and assistance that was extended to us in the hour of our greatest need.

That quick and vigorous response from governments and world leaders, NGOs, private groups and individuals of all races, religions and cultures saved countless lives. It also enabled us to complete the emergency rescue and relief phase in a few months and to make an early transition to the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
To those who helped and who are still helping, we can never thank you enough. We will never stop expressing our gratitude for what you have done.

Being human, many of the victims of the tsunami’s devastation continue to grieve over their tragic losses, but their grief today is mitigated by hope and faith in the ultimate success of the rehabilitation and reconstruction programme. Based on what you see in the presentation that will be made today, I am sure you will agree that their hope and faith are well founded.

This is not to say that the rehabilitation and reconstruction work is encountering no problems. In Aceh and Nias, we do face many challenges that stem from the sheer magnitude and complexity of the task that we are trying to accomplish. There are logistics that are not moving fast enough, supplies lying idle in warehouses, difficulties in coordination, delay in the issuance of permits and clearances, and mistakes being made.

For a good view of these challenges and difficulties, all you need to do is to read the news reports. There is no shortage of headlines on these problems. What is not so widely reported is the extent of the progress we have made in spite of the challenges standing in the way, and what is being done to address these challenges.

You will therefore get a more balanced view of the situation in Aceh and Nias today in the course of today’s presentation. You will get a good idea of how much we have accomplished in what areas, and what more needs to be done.

You will get a clear perspective on what is being done to address the many challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of a smooth implementation of the master plan for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh and Nias.

Just as important as the presentation is your response by way of sharing your observations, insights, suggestions—and even criticisms if you feel they are warranted. After all, we are here neither to celebrate our achievements nor to justif’ ourselves. We are here for a reality check.
 
One reality that we in the Indonesian Government are exceedingly keen on is the effectiveness of our efforts to ensure accountability and transparency in the flow and use of resources in the rehabilitation and reconstruction work.

Indeed, the work in Aceh and Nias provided us with the opportunity to address the problem of Indonesia’s image as one of the world’s most corrupt countries. We have therefore established systems and procedures designed to ensure relevance of projects and strictly accurate accounting of every budgeted rupiah and every donated dollar.

In this way, we hope to show to the world that we in Indonesia have thc will and the capacity for good governance.
To this end, we are being helped by the World Bank, the donors and the people themselves who monitor the progress of the projects and the use of resources. If you think the systems and procedures for accountability and transparency still need improvement, we should like to be the first to know from you.

In the same spirit of accountability and transparency, and as a way of expressing our gratitude and appreciation for all the help we are getting, our Department of Foreign Affairs is carrying out a programme of humanitarian diplomacy. Through this programme we keep our friends, supporters and well-wishers in the international community up-to-date on the progress of the work in Aceh and Nias.

At the same time, we are doing all we can to ensure that if ever a similar natural disaster descends upon this part of the world, we will be ready for it. We will be able to mitigate its fury and devastation—and save lives.
Thus, Indonesia has been developing a Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System (TEWS), which involves the placement of equipment for detecting, observing and monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis. These will be emplaced in regional centres along the coasts of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua.

The TEWS regional centres will form a network coordinated by the TEWS national centre in Jakarta, which in turn will be connected with a network of national centres in ASEAN countries and countries on the Indian Ocean rim.

At the same time, we are pushing for the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster
Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), which was concluded at the ASEAN
Ministerial Meeting in Vientiane, Laos last July.

Germany, France, Japan and the United States have committed themselves to supporting this important regional initiative as well as the building and installation of the TEWS. In this regard, I am pleased to tell you that Germany and Indonesia are now putting in place two of fifteen surface buoys that will serve the TEWS network in Indonesia.

As we make these preparations, we pray that the tragedy that visited us in December 2004 will never be repeated. And yet we are grateful that the tragedy we suffered was also attended by a few blessings.
One of them was the splendid demonstration of compassion and heroism by those who came from all over the world to rush to our aid in a strong affirmation of our shared humanity.

Another is the change of heart that brought back the Government of Indonesia and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to the negotiating table. This happened only because both had been deeply moved by the immense suffering of the Acehnese people in the wake of the tsunami.
 
The tragedy opened a window of opportunity for peace and both sides seized it. Today, as rehabilitation and reconstruction goes on unhampered by conflict, peace is holding in Acch.

With Special Autonomy firmly in place and as the province prepares for local elections in which former GAM fighters will contest, peace promises to grow durable and serve as a factor for social and economic development.

Thus, our outlook for Aceh is the same for the rest of Indonesia—we can only be optimistic. We have suffered tragedies and adversities, but we have always bounced back—through our own efforts and with the help of friends such as you.

Given a national atmosphere of democratization and reform, in a world where democracy is on the march and nations reach out to one another in the spirit of solidarity—we can only be confident. We will reach a new level of development—and you have a great deal to do with it.

And when the situation calls for it, we hope that we will be capable and ready to reach out to others, the way the rest of the world reached to us, in an affirmation of our shared humanity when that affirmation is needed most.