[chapter-delegates] ISOC Response to Tsunami Crisis in Asia PROPOSAL

[Irwan Effendi]

Dear All,

I am from Indonesia and I would like to let you know that the number of
casualties reported in Aceh merely comes from estimated body count. That
number does not add up correctly if we sum it with the number of known
survivors from the area affected. The total population of the entire
affected area was nearly 800.000 (estimation from the last election, actual
number is unknown due to lack of census in the area for the last decade)
while the number of known survivor, both on the site, refugee camps, nearby
villages, and those who already left the area to take refuge to relatives on
other provinces, is estimated at around 400.000. Volunteer groups, media and
state personnel has also agreed that the average survival rate for all area
is somewhere between 50 to 60 percent, with coastal villages has the worst
percentage.
But the real problem now lies in the fact that so many bodies are still
lying around, causing widespread of germs and diseases to the living. What
we really need now is a little international pressure so that the Indonesian
Ulama Council ( MUI ) agree to issue a decree (fatwa) that the corpses may
be burned along with the ruins (religion forbids this). This will greatly
increase survival chance for those who are still in the refugee camp right
now, and speed up recovery progress because shortly after an area has been
cleared up, all sort of transportation can easily access it. Recommendation
is to start from the coastal area nearest to refugee camps, so that ships
can start delivering trucks, tractors or whatever thing is needed there.

Regards,

Irwan Effendi

----- Original Message -----
From: "Erkki I. Kolehmainen" <eik at iki.fi>
To: <chapter-delegates at lists.isoc.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: [chapter-delegates] ISOC Response to Tsunami Crisis in Asia
PROPOSAL


> Dear All,
>
> Although I tend to agree with Mr. Kiravuo's attached statement on what
ISOC could and should do, I have a serious problem with his apparent
belittleing of the catastrophe on hand.



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