USN Hospital ship USNS Mercy

From the US Navy's Newsstand:

USNS Mercy Makes Port Visit in Singapore
Release Date: 1/31/2005 10:35:00 AM
By Journalist 1st Class (SW) Joshua Smith,
USNS Mercy Public Affairs

SINGAPORE (NNS) -- The hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived in Singapore Jan. 29 to take on supplies and embark additional medical and support personnel in support of Operation Unified Assistance. The hospital ship, one of two in the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, deployed Jan. 5 as a part of the multinational disaster relief effort in the wake of the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia.

Mercy departed its homeport of San Diego on 48 hours notice with a skeleton crew comprised of Military Sealift Command mariners and Navy medical personnel that form the nucleus of the ship’s Medical Treatment Facility (MTF).

While in Singapore, 115 Navy medical personnel from San Diego, Pearl Harbor and Norfolk, Va., met the ship to augment the MTF. In addition, Mercy embarked 14 medical personnel from the National Public Health Service and 90 members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who will assist in providing medical care to disaster survivors.

"This ship will serve as a unique platform for both the ship medical staff and NGOs aboard, and we will use it in an innovative way to best serve those devastated by the disaster," said Capt. David M. Llewellyn, commanding officer of the MTF. The ship’s crew also onloaded more than 200 pallets of medical supplies and stores that will be needed to sustain the mission for as long as the ship is needed in the region.

Mercy is an extremely capable medical platform that is well-suited to the task of supporting disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide. The ship is one of the largest trauma facilities in the United States, and offers a full spectrum of surgical and medical services.

Actually, I'm a little surprised that the Newsstand was slow in getting this news released. CNA (Jan 29) has an earlier report on this:

SINGAPORE : A United States navy ship will set sail from Singapore to tsunami-hit areas to provide medical services for those in need.

The US navy ship Mercy was converted into a hospital ship in 1986 and is equipped with the latest medical technology, complete with tonnes of medical supplies. It is equipped with all the medical facilities needed by a hospital such as operating theatres, ICU units and a 250-bed ward, that can be expanded to take in 1,000 patients, if need be...

Captain David M Llewellyn, Commanding Officer, USNS Mercy Medical Treatment Facility, said: "A disaster of this magnitude is not static, it's ever changing and we are getting those information, we are now in the recovery mode, we are seeing things that we are not seeing at the beginning so we are getting the preparation and we modify our preparation."

Taking a tour of the facilities was US ambassador Franklin Lavin. Mr Lavin said: "I think medical care is more of an ongoing and permanent flow especially when you have this kind of disaster. Medical issues sometimes happen when you have a population dislocated, temporary camps and the initial infrastructure destroyed so better have medical professionals in and make sure you don't have follow on problems."

The hospital ship's facilities are also expected to be used by non-governmental organisations who are helping out in the tsunami-hit areas.

Jolyon Peter Caplin, Director, Mercy Relief, said: "Having seen what the ship can do and the facilities that is on the ship, what I can say is that if Mercy Relief has a need, if we have a need that is quite distant in Indonesia or Sri Lanka and say we've got here in far flung outposts where the team is at the moment and we really need a lot of help because of severe surgical problems, then we will request."

The ship is expected to set sail on Tuesday for Sumatra.

UPDATE: Also from the Newsstand: High Speed Vessel Two (HSV 2) Swift arrives in Singapore carrying humanitarian aid supplies, including medicine for Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19):

Introducing Olorin

From A Singapore Angle is now joined by one more blogger--call sign "Olorin" (profile). He is in the education business in Singapore; beyond that, I'll let him speak for himself. So, look out for Olorin's first posting.

Now that he has started it, I am very tempted to get a fancy screen name as well...

"It's home and I miss my chicken rice"

You will find the title line toward the end of this new article by Seah Chiang Nee (Sunday Star, Jan 30; via littlespeck). My sentiments exactly--except that (1) I expect to be back in Singapore once I'm done here, and (2) I already know how to make chicken rice (especially the rice...the chicken is more unpredictable). Now if I can just find some pandan leaves...

UPDATE: My wife says she misses Rojak. She also tells me to be honest--pandan leaves are readily available in Toronto's Chinatown. In fact, we have some in the fridge right now.

Random thoughts on Meritocracy

And doubtless if men differed from one another in the mere forms of their bodies as much as the statues of the Gods do from men, all would acknowledge that the inferior class should be slaves of the superior. And if this is true of the body, how much more just that a similar distinction should exist in the soul? but the beauty of the body is seen, whereas the beauty of the soul is not seen.

-Aristotle, Politics I.5

Was reading this piece on ST (Jan 30), "Meritocracy should be more than academic" and the above came to mind.

Most of us would probably not agree with the first sentence in the Aristotle quote: even if there exist people who are superlatively more beautiful (in their body) than the rest of us, why should that be a good reason for them to rule over us? On the other hand, we are at least half-minded about the thought implied by the second sentence: if there exist people who are superlatively superior to us in the quality of their soul--in less elevated talk, in their character, virtue, intelligence, etc.--it seems appropriate and right that they should call the shots and lead us. A version of this thought underlies our desire that our leaders be people of good character, perhaps even better character than us. This is the heart of any meritocratic system. Finally, we are most in tune with the third and last sentence--it is usually much easier to tell immediately that one person is more beautiful than another in body, then that one is more virtuous than another.

Ok, this is what the ST article says:

While meritocracy has served the country well over the past 40 years, the version practised here is based on an individual's academic ability or achievement - academic meritocracy...While this system has so far produced many outstanding individuals, it has been compromised by students pursuing paper qualifications at the cost of everything else - morals, ethics and national pride included.

I think the version of meritocracy that is practiced in Singapore (or we like to believe that we practice) is, in principle, based upon more than academic achievement. BUT, paper qualifications (not even academic achievement per se, but paper qualifications) is measurable. Morals, ethics, national pride are not. At least, not easily, and not in a way that would satisfy all concerned. (There is a nice story about this for the case of love in King Lear, Act 1, Scene i, but I'll let the Shakespeare afficionado figure that out for himself.)

I'm not sure if he realises it but the writer has raised a very difficult issue in political life; roughly, the epistemology of merit (or virtue, or character, etc.).

[Incidentally, there is an equivalent in Classical Chinese political thought: the question of how one can truly know a person (zhi ren); readers familiar with the story of Zhuge Liang and Ma Shu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms would know what I am talking about; but its too long for the telling here.]

* * * * *

Ok, I'll be honest here: I don't think the The writer of the piece was thinking of anything this complicated. In fact, once you read the rest of the article, his main concern becomes clear: it's all about the selection criteria for scholarships--and, given the context, specifically the scholarships that gives the holder an entrance into the civil service. But, it doesn't mean that a full solution to the issues he raised would not require a more fundamental thinking through of what meritocracy involves and the intractable human realities against which it is set. But that's enough random thoughts for one night.

Polls closed; 72% turnout reported

From CNN (Jan 30)

"The news is freedom has won," Al-Lami [of the independent election commission] said. "We have conquered terrorism."

From Alaa, Iraqi author of the blog Mesopotamian:

I bow in respect and awe to the men and women of our people who, armed only with faith and hope are going to the polls under the very real threats of being blown to pieces. These are the real braves; not the miserable creatures of hate who are attacking one of the noblest things that has ever happened to us. Have you ever seen anything like this? Iraq will be O.K. with so many brave people, it will certainly O.K.; I can say no more just now; I am just filled with pride and moved beyond words. People are turning up not only under the present threat to polling stations but also under future threats to themselves and their families; yet they are coming, and keep coming. Behold the Iraqi people; now you know their true metal. We shall never forget the meanness of these bas…s. After this is over there will be no let up, they must be wiped out. It is our duty and the duty of every decent human to make sure this vermin is no more and that no more innocent decent people are victimized.

Natalie Morales of MSNBC via Jeff Jarvis commenting on the turnout:

"That's not an election, that's a revolution."

Chester compares the Iraqi elections to the civil rights movement in the US:

[H]ere's a final quote for you, from LBJ, before he signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965:

I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy.

I urge every member of both parties -- Americans of all religions and of all colors -- to join me in that cause.

At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama.

So it is today in Baghdad.

Via Instapundit--Iraqi voters displaying their ink-stained finger (used to indicate that they have voted):

UPDATE: More photos, via Yahoo news:

An Iraqi woman cries tears of joy after casting her vote, outside a polling station in the holy city of Najaf, Jan. 30, 2005.

Iraqi Shi'ite women wait in line to cast their votes at a polling station in the holy city of Najaf, Jan. 30, 2005.

After all car movements were prohibited, thousands of Iraqis make a trip on foot to the town of Al Alamara, Iraq, to place their votes Sunday, Jan. 30 2005.

Call for help: Dixon, son of Richard Fong

I've posted on the ill-fated land rover mission into Thailand earlier. As was then reported, one of the convoy leaders, Mr Richard Fong, died on the mission, leaving behind a 10-year old son Dixon. It was also then mentioned (see the third link from the post) that a friend--Mr. Cheong Him--started a fund to help provide for Dixon's education. I lost track of this story for a while but it looks like the collection is still on. From www.mrbrown.com:

Mr Cheong has already started the fund and contributions have begun. You can pledge your contributions by making out a cheque to an account set up for Dixon.

Please address the cheque to: "DIXON FONG YAN DA" and include your name, contact number, and email at the back of the cheque.

Post the cheque to:
BLK 3, BEDOK SOUTH AVE 1 #08-833, SINGAPORE 460003

If you need details, you can also email Mr Cheong at kccheong@magix.com.sg. Mr Cheong will be consolidating all the contributions made. He will create a list of contributors and contributions, and he will give a weekly update to all contributors via email.

Richard Fong died while on his way to help the less fortunate, doing whatever he could... wherever he would. Now, let's see what we can do to help his little boy.

The Prince and the People

Was thinking about what Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (ST, Jan 30) said in response to Warren Fernandez's piece on the casino debate (ST, Jan 29).

Fernandez point was that the Government's 'no decision has been made, let's hear the arguments' line was beginning to wear thin. He urged the Government to come out and make a fuller, positive case for the casino or or risk greater public cynicism over the consultation process.

Dr. Balakrishnan's reply:

'The reason I'll not come out at this point and sell or oversell any position is not because I am incompetent at selling but because this is a sincere process in which a decision really has not been made,' he said...

Describing the casino issue as 'the mother of all consultations', he acknowledged that given the potentially divisive and diverse opinions, whichever way the final decision went, almost half the population might be either angry or disappointed.

What is interesting to me is that both Fernandez and Dr. Balakrishnan appear to share one fundamental assumption. It is this: the preponderance of power is with the government--the government is the one that ultimately decides whether the casino would be built or not. This decision will be arrived at after consultation with the people; and the government seeks also to finally be able to present their decision (for or against) when it is made to the people, to persuade them. The pro- and anti-casino parties of the people are thus invited to the discussion primarily for them to present their case to the government, as opposed to each other...

To see the significance of this, let me illustrate from the contrasting practices of rhetoric or public persuasion in ancient Greece and ancient China (well, I do this sort of things for a living...so).

Ancient Greek rhetoric (especially as practiced in Athens and other democratic cities) tends to be directed at persuading the citizenry--the ones who hold the vote and thus ultimate power of decision making in the city. If a politician wants the city to undertake some policy, he makes his case to the demos through persuasive speech. In the process, he debates those who oppose him. The people--the voting citizenry--is the ultimate judge of whether his or his opponents' speech is the more persuasive, and therefore, whether the policy is to be implemented.

Ancient Chinese rhetoric (of the classical, i.e., pre-unification period; ca. 5th to 3rd century BC) is predominantly directed to the rulers and great ministers of the various warring states. If someone has a good idea about how taxes could be collected, or how the army can be made stronger, or the livelihood of the people improved, he presents the case in court to the prince. In the process, he likewise debates those opposed him. The prince is the ultimate judge of whether his or his opponents' speech is the more persuasive, and therefore, whether the policy is to be implemented.

Now it seems to me that in Singapore, the PAP-lead government (collectively) takes the role of the prince. The decision is ultimately theirs--direct all arguments and counter arguments to them. Likewise, they, when the decision is made, will run campaigns, etc., to persuade the people of the wisdom of the newly implemented policy.

This way of thinking is more pervasive than one might imagine at first sight. In commenting on this piece on the casino debate in Singapore Ink (quite well written, I must say), one of the group's bloggers left this comment:

The thing I like most about what you have written is that you have gone down to the fundamental consequence of the decision on the casino issue by being objective - there will be winners and losers but how will the gahment look after both groups of people!

So the issue is not how the 'losers' will live with the 'winners' or vice versa, but how the government will 'look after' either group.

By the way, I suspect that this phenomenon (of directing the arguments at the prince/government) is not unique to Singapore but can also be found in other parliamentary democracies. My point is not that the assumption underlying our practice is especially authoritarian or anything like that.

It is, however, a function of the fact that there is only one viable political party in Singapore. In democracies with more than one entrenched party, there is much more scope for the opposing parties to have a stake in presenting their case to the citizenry in order to win their vote on policy.

There are less than good consequences. To begin with, there is a tendency for the contrary points of view to talk pass each other in public debate. If the point is to convince the powers that be, there is much less of a need to engage and persuade one's opponents--and ultimately, to come to compromise with them. After all the government's job to sum up all the voices and arrive at a national consensus. And much like a student debate where the point is not to understand and persuade one's opponents but to persuade the judges, the necessary outcome is that there will be winners and losers. The opposing opinion segments of society thus view each other antagonistically and competitively, rather than as full partners--despite our deep differences--in one society.

I am not saying that the above is all there is to public debate in Singapore, but that these seem to be the tendencies, tendencies that have deep structural sources in the nature of Singapore politics. And my suspicion--purely as a layman's hunch--is that as the nature of our society continues to change and more points of view come into being and become vocal, our long term development as a mature democratic citizenry will require that we the citizens learn to engage each other, to seek to persuade our fellow citizens, though they do not share our points of view. By doing so, we express our respect for each other as full members of one society even if deep differences divide us. The point is not to embrace everything and anything, but to learn to live with differences and to learn to 'have our way' only by persuading others who disagree that there are good reasons accessible to them as well for the proposed action. [This is actually a much taller order than may appear at first sight...but another time.]

This seems to be the only viable long term way to ensure that whenever policy decision are made in a context of divisive and diverse opinions, it will not be the case that "almost half the population might be either angry or disappointed."

The Singapore Ink piece concludes thus:

In the past, we loved to talk about win-win situations. I’m not sure we can pretend that we can always find a win-win situation no matter how hard we try. Increasingly clear winners and clear losers are gonna emerge from every policy debate and societal wager we have. Singapore is gonna become more like a casino. Except that unlike in a casino, whatever the outcome, we have to take care of BOTH the winners AND the losers, cos’ with potentially more numerous and vocal losers, the top can no longer pretend them out of existence.

I would add: there is one more alternative to the win-win and win-lose situation. Once the conflicting points of view become sufficiently balanced in terms of strength (e.g., number of adherents), the next best thing to the "win-win", is actually the "win/lose-win/lose", that is, a compromise--arrived at via debate--that allows all or most parties to advance some of their goals, while having no party achieve all of its goals.

PS: The above hardly constitutes a comprehensive analysis--too much is left out. (For example, what is the ideal role of the government in all this?) But one can only do so much in a short span of time.

Does voting mean this much to you?

Photo originally from http://www.friendsofdemocracy.info/

Still continuing from here, Powerline has a touching photo of an elderly Iraqi expatriate voting in Michigan. He is weeping because his son--who lost his life in the 1991 uprising against Saddam--was not able to vote with him. Sure puts some perspective on ST (Jan 28), "Iraqis living abroad show little interest"--but it sure meant a lot to Mr. Mehsin Imgoter.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention: Friends Of Democracy--ground level election news from the people of Iraq is the place to follow the Iraq election. One interesting bit from the site relevant to the above:"Polarization and Apathy Co-Exist Side by Side" (Jan 28):

In many ways Iraq's pre-election season is like pre-election seasons everywhere else. Polarization co-exists right alongside apathy...

Everyone is talking about January 30th. Some want to participate to give legitimacy to the new government. However, a minority of citizens is not interested in elections or other daily concerns because they have a comfortable income. Few of them, who were dismissed from their jobs for political reasons, are indignant when they read in the dailies As Sabah or Al Zaman about new job appointments while they are left behind. Many truths will be revealed when elections are over and final results announced.

UPDATE 2: Another indirectly relevant story here:

As the Iraqis see the improvements made in their lives by working with the coalition forces, they become more willing to sacrifice their own personal safety for the welfare of the people they care for.As the Iraqis see the improvements made in their lives by working with the coalition forces, they become more willing to sacrifice their own personal safety for the welfare of the people they care for.

UPDATE 3: A list of the bloggers and other people covering the Iraq elections is complied by Jeff Jarvis

Singpore's NGOs stepping up to the plate

Continuing from this post, more about how our NGOs are taking over from where the SAF and SCDF left off. First, from this story (CNA, Jan 16), " Nature of relief work changes in Aceh as reconstruction phase begins":

The nature of relief work in Aceh is shifting as the reconstruction phase begins. Instead of supplying food and medical aid, some groups are teaching life skills to victims--like sewing and repair work--to help them restart their lives again...

Meanwhile, medical relief groups are seeing a shift in their patient profiles. Singapore-based City Harvest group is seeing fewer patients with tsunami-related wounds. Kenneth Sim, City Harvest Community Services, said, "We are seeing quite a lot of volunteer workers because they have got wounds while working, so we treat them like military men, police.."

As relief work progresses to the next stage many groups are also coming forward to help rehabilitate victims' psycho social mental health as well. Counselling sessions, support groups and reading centres are being set up in relief camps--all with the hope of helping people mend their broken lives and start afresh once more.

Next, from this story (also CNA, Jan 26), "Singapore NGOs fill up gaps left by SAF, SCDF personnel as reconstruction work continues":

The Singapore military and civil defence forces were the first in Aceh and Meulaboh. They may have returned home, but non-governmental relief groups are already filling the vacuum, armed with more than US$40 million raised for tsunami victims.

Many projects are in the pipeline to help those in the disaster areas rebuild the lives. Just two weeks ago, Dr N Kumar, 28, was in Aceh helping Singapore Civil Defence Force officers on the ground...

Now the spotlight is on reconstruction and moving on.

Singapore's non-governmental organisations have also been involved in relief efforts from the start, providing immediate aid such as supplies and medical relief. Reconstruction projects are also in the pipeline, including building a pier for Meulaboh, schools, and even schemes to teach local communities new skills.

The US$40 million refers to the Singapore Red Cross's S$65 million "Tidal Waves Asia Fund" (see this).

One good sign that our NGOs are stepping up to the plate is the fact that they are coordinating closely with one another. The SRC's exacting guidelines for how the funds will be spent does put some discipline into the action. From this CNA (Jan 28) story, "Relief groups team up for joint tsunami reconstruction proposals":

Non-governmental and voluntary welfare organisations are working closely with one another on joint proposals before submitting them to the tsunami reconstruction facilitation committee for funding. But there is also a call to cut bureaucratic red-tape, so proposals can be translated into reality sooner...

On the cards is a new all-in-one centre for internally displaced people, to give them a proper roof over their heads, instead of the makeshift shelters now.

Mercy Relief is also planning for educational and recreational activities for residents. Said Zulkifli Baharudin, chairman of Mercy Relief, "It's quite a comprehensive centre, to cater to 10,000 to 40,000 people, so we are bringing in our expertise from Singapore to help and see how to proceed with it. As Singaporeans, we don't want to just add value to the hardware but software too -- that will be really adding meaning to the lives of the people." Mercy Relief has also adopted Muhammadiyah Secondary School and its 400 students, with plans to rebuild facilities there.

The relief groups have to submit concrete proposals outlining plans for a six-month period in order to receive funding.

Said Mr Zulkifli, "We would rather want to see something cohesive so at the end of the day there is some consistency, so the greater impact of our contribution can be seen and felt."

Relief groups are already working on joint projects; the Singapore Red Cross and Mercy Relief's liaison offices in Medan and Meulaboh will be set up soon. Such collaborations look set to increase with more partnerships -- all in the name of relief for those in tsunami-hit areas.

And finally, like many other things in life, relief effort coordination is going online. From this CNA (Jan 28) story, "Relief agencies use online database to optimise use of resources":

As tsunami relief efforts enter the reconstruction phase, a virtual community has sprung up in Singapore. At its heart is an online database that matches the ongoing needs of relief agencies with existing resources.



In the early days of the tsunami relief effort, duplication of efforts became a problem as many wanted to help but were not sure how to go about it. This led to the setting up of a database which is the brainchild of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and the National Volunteer and Philantrophy Centre.

The database which works like an electronic whiteboard, lists information about what relief agencies are doing in the affected countries, their needs as well as resources offered by various corporations.

Tan Chee Koon, CEO, National Volunteer and Philantrophy Centre, said: "Two things we hope to see come out of this. One is that agencies will be able to see possibilities for linkages, partnerships and collaborations especially when they have shared interests. Second objective is to match the needs of relief agencies going to to the field with the resources available with the partners in this network."

Currently 70 organisations are on it. One regular user is Yong Teck Meng, who is the chairman of Habitat for Humanity, an aid organisation that will be building homes in affected areas. He says the online portal helps him reach out to other NGOs who may have lots of volunteers as well as for others to locate him.

Mr Yong said: "Just yesterday, I had lunch with a corporation head. He knew through the website that we are interested in housing so he has some ideas on other materials and other methods and how his company can help."

And he says the system is a far cry from the early days when co-ordination had to be done manually.

But while a white board in the operations room still provides a list of the latest and most urgent needs and resources, it is the website that NGOs go to when they want a more comprehensive picture of the tsunami relief effort.

UPDATE: The Red Cross website has a detailed media release on the new liaison office for coordinating Singapore NGO reconstruction projects (here).

Glance at upcoming Iraq elections

After this, this and this (previous posts), I'm just happy to read this (www.timesonline.co.uk, Jan 28):

Voting fever takes hold of a people finally free to choose
There is a palpable sense that the country is entering a new era
From Richard Beeston in Baghdad

FOR decades, voting in Iraq meant taking part in a national exercise of state-enforced adulation, as 99 per cent of the electorate would dutifully turn out to tick the box beside the name Saddam Hussein.

Yesterday the contrast could not have been starker, as the campaign for Sunday’s elections picked up pace and voters were presented with a dizzying selection of dozens of candidates and parties.

Notwithstanding insurgent terror aimed at wrecking the polls, there is finally a palpable sense in Baghdad, and other Iraqi cities, that the country is entering a new era.

Skip to some of my favorite part:

While voters may be confused by the experiment in democracy, they cannot complain about a lack of choice. There is a Communist Party, with the message of a “free country and a happy people”, a monarchist movement pledging the restoration of the Hashemite dynasty, and even a party under the banner of Abdul Karim al-Qassim, the former brigadier-general who seized power in a military coup.

Voters from the Sunni population, many of whom may boycott the vote, will find themselves well represented should they visit the polling stations. Ghazi al-Yawer, the President, Adnan Pachachi, Iraq’s elder statesman, and even the Islamic Iraq Party, which has officially pulled out of the vote, will present party lists on polling day.

And this one is the best:

Political pundits agree that three of the coalition lists will dominate Sunday’s polls. The United Iraqi Alliance, a loose collection of more than 100 parties supported by Ayatollah al-Sistani, is expected to win as much as 40 per cent of the vote, drawing on the support of the majority Shia population in central and southern Iraq and Sadr City, in Baghdad. Not only do Shias believe that they will finally win power after centuries as second-class citizens, they have also been told that voting is a religious duty.

In spite of the strong religious backing, the party has been at pains to emphasise that it supports secular politics and rejects any notion of an Iranian-style theocracy. To make the point that it is not bound to Islamic doctrine, it put up posters of a beautiful girl with long, flowing black hair that looked more like an advertisement for shampoo.

And of course, the Iraqis have discovered the boisterous side to democracy:

Elsewhere street urchins were discovering that democracy can pay. They have been hired en masse to put up posters and billboards on every wall space available and probably paid a little extra to tear down the slogans of rival politicians.

Some of the campaigning methods are fairly crude. One boy said that the police had given him a stack of posters of the Prime Minister and ordered him to put them up around his neighbourhood. The Iraqi Electoral Commission has received complaints that some parties have warned voters that they would “go to Hell” unless they supported their candidates. Others have used photographs of influential religious leaders, such as Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in their campaign posters even though the Shia cleric is not running in the elections.

Well, there's still a long way to go...(read the whole article)

* * * * *

The part about the great variety of choice in parties the Iraqis can vote for reminds me of something brought up in this ST (Jan 28) article:

At 50, [the PAP] has stayed in good shape and Singaporeans have just witnessed the second peaceful and orderly transfer of power, a luxury most post-'65ers probably take for granted.

Yet, who can be absolutely certain the future will remain so?

If the party's selection process somehow fouls up, and a power struggle within the party emerges, who can rescue it from internal collapse?

Unimaginable it may seem, but if Singapore should descend into madness because of a PAP meltdown, do we have another set of capable people, ready to step in to prevent the tragedy from becoming what Mr Bao calls 'a prolonged crisis that afflicts the whole nation'?

I do not have the answers.

Fair enough--I don't either; but at least the writer did not give the usual: "we need more opposition in parliament" (or even better: "PAP, give us more opposition") meme. The reply there is: since when is it the ruling party's job to foister any opposition parties? Can you imagine asking Labor to help cultivate the political prospects of the Tories in the UK, or the Republicans that of the Democrats in the US?

Activism schlechtivism

Scathing critique of political activism (both left and right) as it is practiced today, from the windsofchange.net:

Al Qaeda may not be the only ones out there with a fantasy ideology (pace, Lee Harris), and another version of same may explain quite a bit about modern American politics and the decline of the Democratic Party. If you see activism as the default mode of politics, goes this thesis, you shouldn't be surprised when it leads to anti-intellectualism, tolerance of extremists, retreat into fantasy, and a self-defeating kind of partisanship designed to make people feel better about themselves rather than produce meaningful change.

Read the whole thing.

For the moment, this is not exactly something that Singapore has to worry about--if conventional wisdom means anything, we seem to have the reverse problem of apathy...

UPDATE: Hmm...perhaps relevant to this instead.

Singapore relief efforts highlights (Jan 26-27) UPDATED

Now that the SAF and SCDF are out, the bulk of Singapore's effort will be by the NGOs. From ST (Jan 27):

LIAISON offices will be set up in Indonesia to help coordinate Singapore relief efforts in the tsunami-battered country. The offices in Meulaboh and Medan in Sumatra will serve as the contact point between Singapore's help organisations and the local authorities.

They can also help coordinate the logistics and transport of volunteers and relief supplies, said the Singapore committee overseeing the tsunami relief efforts of non-government organisations (NGOs) and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). The Tsunami Reconstruction Facilitation Committee also asked the NGOs and VWOs in Medan, Meulaboh and Banda Aceh to register with the liaison offices.

There is also an update on various ongoing projects:

The Singapore Red Cross will supply medical personnel and volunteers to help manage logistics in camps for displaced people in Aceh. In Meulaboh, Mercy Relief and other Singapore NGOs will help furnish the Muhammadiyah Secondary School as well as provide its 400 students with stationery, books and uniforms.

Mercy Relief is also helping to set up the emergency and general administration departments of the Meulaboh General Hospital. It will provide 100 generator sets and two ambulances and will work with other NGOs to strengthen their medical teams.

In Aceh, medical relief teams from Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre, Touch Community Services and City Harvest Community Services Association will help support relief efforts.

In Sri Lanka, YMCA Singapore is helping efforts in Ampara in the east while Ren Ci plans to build low-cost housing, schools and other community facilities in the southern town of Matara. The Singapore Red Cross has also sent a medical team to Trincomalee on the east coast.

In the meantime, a collection of a different sort is being carried out by MediaCorp. From CNA (Jan 27):

Singaporeans have responded overwhelmingly to MediaCorp Radio's call for donations of radio sets for the tsunami victims. The total number collected so far increased from 1,300 sets last week to 6,200, and most of them are in good working condition. Over 30,000 batteries have also been collected, 20,000 donated by GP Batteries.

"We are very surprised that many of them have donated batteries as well with the sets and in total, generally most of them spend an average of 100 dollars plus for the donations." said Jeanette Seah, the Promotions Manager at MediaCorp Radio.

The influx of radios have also been keeping volunteers from MediaCorp and Mercy Relief busy. They have to test the sets to see if they work before distributing them.

UPDATE

From CNA (Jan 27): An 8-month-old baby boy from Meulaboh escaped the Boxing Day tsunami but got accidentally burnt while living at a refugee camp.

Heru suffered smoke inhalation and burns to nearly half of his body. He is now in critical condition and getting urgent medical treatment in Singapore.

Accompanied by his parents, Little Heru arrived at Singapore General Hospital straight off his flight from Medan all wrapped in bandages. Heru was brought here after the Singapore Red Cross learnt about his condition from their Indonesian counterparts.

The UN continues to get on the Diplomad's nerves

Both the UN (here and here) and the Diplomad (here) are very much in character, of course.

Naval aviator disputes with disgrunted sailor

Remember the disgrunted USN officer from the USS Lincoln (posted here)? One of his comrades (a naval aviator aboard the same carrier) replies:

The Indonesian government (rightly so) is in charge of the overall relief effort underway on the western coast of Sumatra. Last time I checked, it is their country. Simply put, we are here to aid them with their recovery. We are merely one part of what could end up as the largest relief effort in history. The resources and personnel of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group are working in concert with the people of Indonesia, other nations, militaries, and a host of non-governmental relief agencies including US AID, Red Cross & Red Crescent Society, WHO, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, and the WFP...

Read the whole thing (from Blackfive, via Instapundit.)

Singapore hits exceeds American ones

For the first time since the blog began, I have more hits coming from Singapore IP addresses (38.65%) than from American ones (37.45%; see this). Considering that most of the US hits came by way of Chester in the early days of the blog (see this), I expect the numbers for Singapore to continue rising.

Aceh Highlights (Jan 26, 27)

Some news highlights for today: first, one month after the disaster, the Japanese military has arrived to help (AP, Jan 27):

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - Awe-struck villagers watched as two hovercraft landed on a beach Thursday in tsunami-devastated Aceh province, carrying Japanese troops in their largest overseas relief effort. The Japanese troops will try to fill the gap left when U.S. forces scale back their relief operations...

The two Japanese military hovercraft landed in the region hardest-hit by the Dec. 26 disaster that killed between 145,000 and 178,000 people and left tens of thousands of others missing across southern Asia. The vessels, which float on cushions of air, brought a water purification plant and medical supplies.

"I've never seen anything like it," said curious villager Muhamad Yunus, 53.

Japan, which has committed nearly 1,000 troops, joins such nations as France, Germany, Australia and Malaysia who plan to keep providing relief and assistance even as the United States military plans to pull back. Aid organizations said they were optimistic that the needs would be met...

As is well known by now, Singapore's forces have also left Indonesia. It is thus nice to read that our NGOs are filling up the gaps left by the SAF and SCDF (CNA, Jan 26).

Talking about the foreign military forces pulling back, the Washington Post (Jan 27) is under the impression that the people of Aceh are not happy with that development (see also this and this previous posts):

"The foreigners are the only ones who gave us anything. We haven't gotten anything from the Indonesian government," said Ali, 43, a sad-eyed man with curly hair and a scraggly beard. "If the foreign soldiers leave Aceh, the Acehnese people will starve to death."

A heated debate over how long U.S. and other foreign troops should be allowed to remain in Indonesia has been dominated by political and military leaders based in Jakarta, the capital.

The country's welfare minister, for example, told reporters Sunday that it was "only logical" that foreign forces begin pulling out. "The emergency phase is almost behind us, so the military will no longer give their contribution," said Alwi Shihab, referring to U.S., Singaporean and other foreign troops.

But in more than two dozen interviews in Aceh, Indonesia's westernmost province, residents unanimously said that foreign forces should remain for at least several years. Acehnese, from homeless rice farmers to professors and local officials, said the troops should help with reconstruction and serve as a check on Indonesian security forces, widely feared in the province because of their heavy-handed campaign against separatist rebels, known as the Free Aceh Movement. The rebels have been fighting for autonomy for decades.

I believe there is something to the Acehnese sentiments expressed, but one must be careful not to fall tread carefully in the quicksand of Acehnese politics. Kirsten E Schulze, who has been studying the Free Aceh Movement for a number of years, has this to say (ST, Jan 26):

In the eyes of GAM [Free Aceh Movement], the humanitarian disaster provides an unprecedented opportunity. Never before have so many foreigners been on the ground in Aceh and never before has Aceh had such world attention...

Since the tsunami, GAM has issued statement after statement condemning Indonesian relief efforts, accusing the Indonesian government of deliberately delaying aid and the Indonesian military (TNI) of hindering its distribution. It has called for the withdrawal of Indonesian forces and international intervention.

GAM guerillas on the ground have also become more active. During the first week after the tsunami, they intercepted an aid convoy trying to make its way to Meulaboh. The guerillas emptied the trucks of all their goods. Over the last week, there have been reports of clashes between GAM and the Indonesian security forces. Aid agencies now fear for the safety of their workers.

While GAM has no interest in attacking foreigners in Aceh, the separatists are trying to provoke the TNI into an overreaction in order to draw further international attention to their struggle for independence. They are also exploiting the fact that two-thirds of the Indonesian troops deployed across Aceh are now focused on the relief efforts and that the security forces in Meulaboh and Banda Aceh were badly hit.

In addition, GAM rebels have used the general confusion around the disaster-stricken areas to come down from the mountains into which they had been pushed over the previous year of counter-insurgency operations. Guerillas have seized the chance to replenish their depleted weapons with guns taken from the dead bodies of police and soldiers as well as from damaged arsenals.

Not surprisingly, in light of its strategy of internationalisation, GAM has started to mingle with the displaced persons, trying to gain the ear of the numerous international NGOs. This poses the greatest risk to the relief efforts as international NGOs could be drawn into a dangerous political game. Already, international human rights organisations have started echoing GAM's condemnations of the Indonesian government and military. It would be nothing but disastrous if well-intended international NGOs on the ground in Aceh followed suit...

The international community should beware of falling into GAM's trap. GAM does not represent all of the Acehnese and it certainly does not represent most of the people hit by the tsunami.

Concerning the human rights issue:

Although one often gets the impression from media reports that only the Indonesian army has committed human rights violations in Aceh, since 1976 GAM has been responsible for the burning of schools, killing of teachers, destruction of local government offices and clinics, kidnapping of civil servants, murder of judges, attacks on the energy infrastructure, ethnic cleansing of Javanese migrants and wholesale extortion and intimidation of the Acehnese people.

She has a lot more to say about that last point in this earlier article from Asia Times (Jul 22, 2003):

GAM's struggle for independence has been cast as a fight for the noble ideal of liberty while Indonesia's efforts to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity have been widely condemned. But does GAM really warrant such romanticization? A closer look at GAM's ideology, its attitude toward the peace process, and its activities during the recent cessation of hostilities may suggest otherwise.

GAM was established in 1976 and has since been struggling for the liberation of Aceh from what it sees as Indonesian neo-colonial occupation. Yet while GAM leaders in exile have attempted to rewrite Acehnese history in pursuit of independence, the driving force on the ground is somewhat different. GAM guerrillas are motivated by parochial ethnic hatred. For them the war is about killing Javanese. As a result GAM forces have not only attacked the Indonesian security forces but have also systemically targeted, killed or forced out Javanese transmigrants.

Ethnic chauvinism is also evident in GAM's construction of Acehnese nationalism. While Indonesian identity is a civic nationalism which is inclusive, multi-religious, multi-ethnic, and multi-tribal, Acehnese nationalism is ethnic and exclusive. It is based upon the imposition of the identity of the Aceh tribe upon the other eight tribes in the region in order to create the Acehnese nation. This nation is defined by blood ties, tribalism, and Islam.

Read the whole thing. She has a book on the suject too: The Free Aceh Movement (GAM): Anatomy of a Separatist Organization (Washington, D.C.: East-West Center, 2004) (click on the link to read the abstract).

SRC guidelines for using the funds collected

Having collected S$65 million in the "Tidal Waves Asia Fund", the Singapore Red Cross is putting out a set of guidelines on how it is to be spent for any NGO that wishes to apply--"to ensure that the Fund is used in the most effective and impactful way."

These guidelines are intended to facilitate and encourage agencies to propose projects that will both meet immediate and long-term needs, such as those of equipping locals with knowledge and skills to continue the work when the agencies leave.

The two principles underlying the guidelines are also clearly spelt out:

a) Projects to be considered by the Committee shall be projects to be carried out in the areas directly affected by the Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami that would help restore normalcy to the affected areas and their populations.

b) Priority shall be accorded to meeting needs for community facilities destroyed or damaged by the earthquake/tsunami.

The SRC is requiring a fairly detailed write up for any proposal to use the funds: detailed budget, clear objectives and deliverables, implementation plan and time line (up to 6 months), exit plan. I like the emphasis on a need to illustrate the viability of the project in terms of a clear plan with feasible outcomes and deliverables, sustainability, exit strategy, and "favourable consideration to joint projects between Singapore agencies and responsible agencies of the affected country" (read the whole thing).

Like many things in Singapore, the plan is fairly well thought out--it has the right ideas. Let's just hope that things don't mess up in the execution.

Also from their website (Jan 25), the SRC teams in Meulaboh and Sri Lanka have returned. The press releases also contain details about their work in the disaster areas:

(from this):

Under the overall banner of the Singapore Red Cross (SRC), 65 volunteers from various VWOs and NGOs set sail on the Republic of Singapore Navy LST RSS Endeavour for Singapore on Saturday, 22 January 2005. They arrived today at the Changi Naval Base at 12 noon...

In Meulaboh, the team which included logisticians, medical personnel, as well as emergency behavioural counsellors from SRC, Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), Mercy Relief, Touch Community Services and the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) worked closely with the Indonesian Red Cross Society and the medical facilities established by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The members were split into 3 teams to assist in food distributions and onsite relief support, work with the medical teams in the hospitals and provision of other logistical support. Additionally, the teams also brought along over 100 tonnes of medical supplies, water, emergency packs, batteries, face masks, blankets, field tents as well as two lorries for the affected victims in Meulaboh.

The Singapore Red Cross coordinated this volunteer relief mission with the SAF, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports (MCYS) and the NVPC.

(from this):

The second Singapore Red Cross (SRC) medical relief team has just returned from Trincomalee, Sri Lanka today.

Comprising of doctors and nurses from the two hospital clusters - National Healthcare Group and SingHealth - as well as SRC volunteers, all 14 members departed from Colombo at 1.30 a.m. Sri Lanka time on flight SQ 401, and arrived in Singapore at 7.30 a.m. this morning. Following on the footsteps of the first team who came back on 16 January, they continued to provide immediate outpatient care to the tsunami victims in the mobile clinic.

This medical mission was organised with close collaboration with the Sri Lankan Red Cross and the Rotary Club of Trincomalee.

Economic impact of external aid, incompetent aid agencies

I've already mentioned the problem of how large scale external relief improperly applied can result in undesirable economic consequences for the survivors here, here and here); but the report from USA Today (Jan 26) is beginning to confirm some of my worst fears:

With the immediate tsunami crisis past, and commerce slowly resuming, Indonesians are confronting a new reality in which the giant wave has bestowed riches upon some while leaving others desperately poor.

Just as the surf killed capriciously, its financial consequences are equally arbitrary. Those who speak English can earn $100 a day translating for aid groups or journalists. Those who can't confront soaring food prices - a 500-rupiah (about 5 cents) egg before the tsunami now fetches twice that amount.

To be fair, not all of the disparate impact is due to the influx of foreign aid workers. Some of is due to the sheer chance of being the only supplier for some goods or service to survive:

Impatient customers are stacked nine deep outside Bahry Ban's tire shop. A blur of motion, the lithe man deftly patches the flat tires that are bedeviling drivers all over this city, among the hardest hit by the Asian tsunami

Huge swaths of the wave-battered city center are vast debris fields, replete with nails, screws and broken glass that are shredding the tires of Indonesians and foreign aid workers alike. "My business is booming since the tsunami," says a sweat-streaked Ban, 32, racing to repair yet another flat...

Starkly put, for some businesses, the ferocious wave - despite its horrors - eliminated much of the competition. Many tire shops in the city center are gone, leaving Ban the only repairman with a special hand tool that quickly installs leak-sealing rubber plugs. He charges per hole repaired, and he also sells refurbished tires. His daily revenue surged to 15 million rupiah ($1,642) from 4 million ($438) before the tsunami.

Business is so good, he's put his rail-thin wife Erni, 22, to work pumping tires while their 4-month-old sleeps in a pale blue swing suspended from the shop's crossbeam. Soon, Ban, who's putting in 17-hour workdays, plans to move to a larger shop.

Standing beneath a leafy siron tree, Ban seems to recognize the awkwardness of his windfall: "I didn't actually ask for the tsunami."

Let's just hope that Mr. Ban will not be forgetting his less lucky neighbors, such as this one:

The same wave that showered Ban with new business has left Mahdan, 55, destitute. The veteran fisherman, who, like many Indonesians, uses only one name, has no idea what became of his 30-foot vessel. "It's gone," he says, sitting in a makeshift refugee camp on the hillside above the village.

Before the tsunami, he made about 10 million rupiah ($1,095) every month. Hugging the north Sumatran coast, he and his six-man crew pulled in tuna and a local fish known as teri on nocturnal expeditions that stretched from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next day.

Now, they're all jobless, subsisting on donations from international aid groups. Four weeks after the tsunami hit, Mahdan spends his days searching for the bodies of his 18-year-old and 3-year-old children. His mother and brother-in-law also died in the raging waters, which were powerful enough to uproot a pair of mammoth oil tanks stationed along the coast. Although the loss of the simple fishing boats will not affect the larger Indonesian economy, it is devastating for the fishermen themselves. Mahdan says he'd need 25 million rupiah ($2,737) to replace his old boat, an impossible sum. "If I can't afford a new boat, I must go to the mountains and grow something," shrugs Mahdan, who's never farmed.

Not being a liberal, I have no problem with income inequality that results from the normal operations of the market, all things being equal. The problem is not that some are becoming richer; the worry is that the hardship of some is being unnecessarily compounded by unequal access to the economic injection brought by the influx of massive aid. Put it this way: Mr. Ban did the rational thing and capitalized on his tire shop business. Given the circumstances, he hardly has to charge exorbitantly in order to make a big profit. Nothing wrong with that--yet. But suppose someone like Mr. Mahdan now has to have his tires changed (or buy food, or whatever)--not only does he have to compete for the limited resources with other Indonesians who were luckier than he, but also a wave of aid workers flush with foreign cash. His life, already made difficult by natural disaster, has just became harder.

Some help is on the way:

To help people such as this stunned fisherman, the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) will unveil this week a job-creating "cash-for-work" initiative. "We help put cash in people's hands to keep the market going and let the natural rhythm of life come back," says Peter Morris, team leader for the agency's Disaster Assistance Response Team.

Among the first projects: a $63,000 grant to Muhammadiyah, a moderate Muslim group that will employ 1,500 refugees to clean up schools in Banda Aceh. But with an estimated 500,000 people displaced by the tsunami, and markets destroyed or disrupted, the need for economic help is enormous.

(I shall leave you to read the rest on your own.)

On a different but related note, Oxfam takes incompetent aid agencies to task (AFP, Jan 26):

The [Oxfam] report stresses that while aid efforts have helped many thousands of people, and that some communities are "already well on the way to physical recovery", serious difficulties remain.

Inexperience and a lack of consultation with local people meant that some aid was not appropriate, such as the construction of housing is Sri Lanka which was too close together, causing sanitation problems, the charity noted.

In particular, authorities coordinating aid efforts must ensure that humanitarian agencies working in the disaster zone were "appropriate to the task", Oxfam said. "In some cases, the influx of money has meant that there are too many organisations working without the appropriate experience, competencies and skills," it said, highlighting south India as a place where coordinating agencies was "a significant problem".

Once again, I am not optimistic about the proposed solution--more bureaucracy:

"National governments with the support of the United Nations need to implement processes immediately to accredit international agencies and ensure their work is suited to their experience," Oxfam said.

* * * * *

Probably the best commentary on the law of unintended consequences is one of the stories in this book; but unfortunately, my copy in back home in Singapore. (I'll see if I can get my hands on a copy here.)

The sound of wind, rain...and reading*

Heartening to read that a month after the earthquake and tsunami, schools are reopening in Sri Lanka and Aceh, Indonesia. But the toll is visible. From (Reuters, Jan 26):

At the SMR8 secondary school in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, students sat on a cleared basketball court where they prayed and recited from the Koran. Some girls cried and held their heads in their hands and others stared blankly.

Only 300 of nearly 900 enrolled students turned up for class. Authorities in Aceh say the tsunami killed 45,000 school children and more than 2,300 teachers and administrators.

"For us teachers, it's hard because so many lost families and homes. But we have to put this aside and think of our students," school principal Syarifuddin Ibrahim, 50, told Reuters.

Cries of anguish rose from the crowd as he read out the names of nine teachers killed by the tsunami.

(See also this AP, Jan 26 report)

The rebuilding is much more than providing for the physical well being of the survivors. Longer term considerations--such as education--are important as well. It is thus disheartening to read about teachers (for example) and being drawn to service the aid workers for a better pay (I blogged on this earlierhere and here):

In countries that have seen large-scale aid missions, the scramble for labor between international organizations has driven some trained professionals, civil servants, teachers, and others with higher education to make more money as drivers, translators, and NGO administrators. (CSM, Jan 19)

These people are hardly immoral--they are only being economically rational. It goes to show that large scale relief that is not properly thought through often results in unintended and undesirable consequences.

From the same Reuters report above (relevant to this previous post), this bit does not bode well for the chance of the central government and TNI gaining popularity in Aceh:

Hundreds of Acehnese marched in the streets of Jakarta on Wednesday to protest a government timetable for U.S. and other foreign troops to leave the sensitive province by the end of March. "U.S. army, my family, not out. We love peace," a banner read.

"We demand that the U.N. and other countries that sent military to Aceh stay there until Aceh has completely recovered," protester Faisal Ridha said.

The prognostication of the International Crisis Group way early on (see this earlier post) is apposite:

[The] longer term impact of disaster as yet unclear, with much depending on how relief and reconstruction effort handled: if well, central government stands to win major new support, but if poor coordination continues, or serious corruption takes place, GAM independence movement will be major beneficiary.

That said, the spirit of the people of Aceh deserves a hat tip:

Banda Aceh school headmaster Amirudin, 52, urged his students to have hope. "We don't have bags, books and pencils, but that's OK. Everything will come," he said. "Do you see those helicopters flying above, they belong to the Americans and other countries. So you know what it means? Everyone is helping us. And Allah will help us."

* * * * *

The title alludes to the first line of a poem penned by a disaffected scholar of the Ming Dynasty (if you read Chinese: here):

风声雨声读书声，声声入耳

Roughly: the sound of the wind, the rain, and of reading (i.e., studying), I hear them all. It is not surprising that these are the sounds that the poet hears--he was one of the disaffect scholar officials connected with the "Dongling Academy (东林书院)", a dissident intellectual group based in Wuxi. [Yes, I'm not joking: a dissident intellectual group involving thousands of scholars at times in Imperial China.]

* * * * *

USN sailors helped repair RSN landing craft

Bonhomme Richard Sailors Lend Hand to Coalition Partners
Release Date: 1/20/2005 9:22:00 AM
By Journalist 3rd Class Ryan Valverde,
USS Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs

ABOARD USS BONHOMME RICHARD, At Sea (NNS) -- Five Sailors from USS Bonhomme Richard (BHR) (LHD 6) embarked Singaporean Armed Forces ship RSS Endurance (L 207) (LST) Jan. 13 to repair the ship’s landing craft unit (LCU).

The helicopter landing ship Endurance, similar to a U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock (LPD) ship such as USS Duluth (LPD 6), was operating off the coast off Indonesia in support of Operation Unified Assistance.

While using their LCUs to offload humanitarian relief supplies to shore during well deck operations, one of the LCUs hulls was damaged.

The Revolutionary Gator volunteered the expertise of three hull maintenance technicians (HT), an electrician's mate and an aviation structural mechanic to assess and repair the casualty to the damaged LCU’s engine room.

Aviation Structural Mechanic (AW) 2nd Class Andrew Morris, the aircraft intermediate maintenance department’s hydraulic work center supervisor, a certified aircraft welder, said he made two trips to Endurance.

"The first day, we went over there for a couple of hours to access the damage and give it the okay if we could do it," said Morris, an Aiea, Hawaii, native. "The next day we stayed overnight, working through the night to get it repaired."

"It's keeping good relations with a coalition naval partner," said Ensign Christopher Vann, BHR’s Repair Division officer. "We had the skills and they had the need. Just trying to help them out."

Hull Maintenance Technician 1st Class (SW) Jason Curry, HT shop’s leading petty officer, and Hull Technician 2nd Class (SW) Aaron L. Toney, HT work center supervisor, together with Morris, spent more than 18 hours repairing the hull of the LCU. The Sailors removed the damaged portion of the LCU, rebuilt the angle iron bracing and re-plated the ship.

"HT1 [hull technician 1st class] is probably one of the most experienced welders on board. He brings a lot of welding experience from his former command, ACU 5 [Assault Craft Unit 5]. He is just a wizard with metal," said Vann, a Hot Springs, Ark., native.

"Same with HT2 [hull technician 2nd class] Toney. They work really well together. Those guys are the subject matter experts,"

The Sailors’ work allowed the LCU to continue to operate and provide humanitarian assistance.

Curry and Toney both have multiple welding qualifications and have worked with Landing Craft Air Cushions (LCACs) and LCUs.

"Petty Officer Toney and I have prior experience," said Curry, a Freemont, Iowa, native. “They didn’t have the capabilities of doing a self repair. There was no way the craft was going to be operable."

Toney said he was happy to lend a hand.

"Their captain was really satisfied with our work," said Toney, a Philadelphia native. “We were treated very well, ate very good food and the crew was very friendly. It is a great Navy and a good ship."

Bonhomme Richard and her coalition partner Endurance are currently steaming off the coast of Indonesia in support of Operation Unified Assistance.

(Hat tip: Pirate on the Military Nuts forum) For more Yankee ingenuity, see also this story:

American Ingenuity Key to Restoring Banda Aceh Hospital
Release Date: 1/23/2005 1:29:00 AM
By Journalist 1st Class (SW) Joaquin Juatai,
USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs

Indonesian responses to foreign assistance

In view of what I said in this recent post, the question arises as to just what is the Indonesian reaction to the presence of foreign military (carrying out relief operations) in their country. This piece: "Jakarta's dilemma: How to say no to needed foreign help" (Jan 26) by Derwin Pereira, Straits Times' Indonesia Bureau Chief proposes some answer. Some highlights:

The national media has fallen in line behind the aid flow, but in Indonesia, things are almost always not what they seem. There are elements in the country which worry about the foreign help - these voices are coming from the political and intellectual elite, Indonesian armed forces (TNI) and Islamic extremist groups.

They might be small but are of significance. And they have brought to the fore an acute dilemma within the Indonesian psyche when it comes to dealing with the outside world. Indonesians want to be masters of their own fate, but are forced by circumstances time and again to seek help.

The episode has also pointed to splits within President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government, even as it added to pressures for fast results.

The bottom line is this: The outpouring of generosity has done little to change the views of many Indonesians, who remain wary of foreigners.

Derwin Pereira's piece identifies two groups that are particularly suspicious of the foreign military forces--especially that of the US and Australis--on relief missions in Indonesia. First, the TNI (or BIN, the state intelligence agency), which suspects that these forces "would take advantage of the situation to gather intelligence for national security purposes". Second, Muslim hardliners, who "view Western aid as nothing more than a bid to convert vulnerable victims." In fact, it was in order to "mollify such groups" that provoked the whole deadline fracas.

The ST piece cites the an editorial titled "Xenophobia Thicker Than Humanity" (Jan 13) from the Jakarta Post as summing up the mood:

It has become all too evident that there is a growing feeling of xenophobia here, at least in certain parts of society. We accept the foreigners' relief, but...we are suspicious of them and do not appreciate what they have done.'

Ok, som much for the ST piece, for now. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I found the US State Department's summary of major media reactions to the restrictions and deadlines imposed by Indonesia concerning the foreign aid workers and military forces (globalsecurity.org, Jan 19). There is a whole bunch of stuff from the Indonesian media and they make for a fascinating picture--but in sum, they are fairly evenly divided between those who say the foreigners must go as soon as possible, and those who are unhappy with the restrictions and deadline. The Jakarta Post piece (cited by ST) managed to straddle the middle, mostly, and is worth reading in full (via www.e-sinchew-i.com):

On Wednesday morning, a major radio station in Jakarta invited its listeners to comment on the Indonesian Military's (TNI) decision to restrict the movements of international aid workers and foreign military personnel while in Aceh.

The answers given by the listeners have likely upset the government, especially the TNI's top brass, because most listeners were not only opposed to the TNI's decision, but also questioned the real motives of the TNI.

Such a reaction reflects the high suspicion that remains toward the military, who for decades were a tool of oppression.

"We should not be paranoid about the foreigners, who are very sincere in helping people in Aceh," one listener from Central Jakarta said.

It is obviously a good move by the TNI Chief Gen Endriartono Sutarto to say he wants to ensure the safety of some 2,000 foreign civilians, who are now working on the humanitarian mission in the tsunami-devastated province.

As a host, Indonesia is responsible for the security and protection of the humanitarian workers. Indonesia could not have handled this unprecedented disaster on its own. The nation needs international assistance.

Although it seems restrictive, the general's decision to require the volunteers to be escorted by TNI soldiers during trips outside of Banda Aceh actually makes sense because there is still a war going on. With seemingly little fear of the many risks inherent, the volunteers have come here out of a strong sense of compassion for the suffering victims and have been motivated to help the Acehnese build a totally new life.

Foreign military ships and planes are also required to have military liaison officers accompany them and get clearance from the TNI for all movements. Meanwhile, the government has indicated that the foreign presence would not last more than three months.

But, as reflected in the radio talk show, many people doubt that the restrictive measures are merely aimed at protecting the foreign volunteers.

TNI generals have admitted they would not have enough resources to handle the relief and rehabilitation alone, and thus need the foreign help.

So, why then did Gen. Endriartono make such a controversial decision, while thousands of guests are now in Aceh to help us? Most of them likely realise the dangers during their humanitarian mission, but still they have come. Why? Because of a sense of humanity; that is the only answer for their readiness to take a risk. A risk that may be in the form of armed gunmen, another earthquake aftershock or malaria.

We should thank the hard-working guests because without their help, the suffering of the victims of the natural disaster would be much worse.

Despite the radio listeners responses, it has become all too evident from local media reports that there is a growing feeling of xenophobia here, at least in certain parts of society.

We accept the foreigners' relief, but at the same time we are suspicious of them and do not appreciate what they have done.

From television reports, it has become abundantly clear that the Acehnese have welcomed the foreigners, including American soldiers. People who live far away from these appreciative victims still question the foreign presence, while for victims, they are saviours.

Perhaps it is ridiculous to say that such behaviour also proves that many of us have no compassion for our brothers and sisters in Aceh, not just when they were oppressed by the government, but even now as they struggle to survive amidst such a horrible calamity.

Many Indonesians are very firm in their opinion that the government must do everything possible to ensure the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), therefore, they also feel that any rebellious acts in Aceh must be harshly punished to ensure that the soil of that province remains part of the nation state.

Of course, we also hope the foreign guests realise that they are guests in Aceh, regardless of how much we need their help. Guests are expected to adapt to the conditions of their hosts.

We do hope that the negative statements, xenophobia and a lack of appreciation shown by some members of society, will not discourage our Samaritan friends. We also hope they realise that the nation needs and truly appreciates their help.

The silver lining in all this is that if the US and Australia are not trusted, at least Singapore and Malaysia are viewed with friendlier feelings (con't from the ST piece):

But Singapore and Malaysia are viewed differently. There is a higher comfort level given historical links and common Asean membership.

Said Mr Syamsir: 'Our neighbours come here as friends. They are sincere. Singapore, for example, has played a big role in this crisis. It is a small country but very important for Indonesia because they have this ability to get the big powers to listen to them. The tsunami summit happened because of the initiative of the Singapore leadership.'

This is further reinforced in another Jakarta Post piece (Jan 21), "Helping the 'Asian way'" (via littlespeck.com).

Moxie's help; and online archives

Readers who have seen this earlier post would know that, because the Blog started only on Jan 8, many of the relevant ST articles have already become inaccessible to the public online. Answering my call for help, a denizen of www.sgforums.com, call-sign "Moxie", took time to go through his stash of saved old papers and emailed a whole bunch to me in two word files.

Moxie's first collation (mostly ST articles) was received on Jan 16 and made possible my post: "The Response of the Public Dec 27-31, 2004" (dated Jan 17). His second collation (mostly TODAY articles, plus others) was received on Jan 22 and unfortunately, I will not have the time (for now) to go through them so as to complete my intended overview of the earlier public response.

Rather than simply hog the material, I'm putting them online as .html files (first collation, second collation) in case they might be useful to anyone in the near future.

Also, rather than keep to their usual 7-day archival practice, Channel News Asia has been maintaining an index of all of their articles relating to the earthquake and tsunami, and subsequent relief efforts since Dec 26. You can access all of these articles here (Dec 04) and here (Jan 05). I do not know how much longer do they intend to do this though (my preference: as long as possible...it's not as if storage is expensive). Don't even get me started about Straits Times' archival policies.

English and Englishes

Reading about the "good English debate" on Singapore Ink, I can't help but recall this bit of Monty Python:

Customer: Good Morning.
Owner: Good morning, Sir. Welcome to the National Cheese Emporium!
C: Ah, thank you, my good man.
O: What can I do for you, Sir?
C: Well, I was, uh, sitting in the public library on Thurmon Street just now, skimming through "Rogue Herrys" by Hugh Walpole, and I suddenly came over all peckish.
O: Peckish, sir?
C: Esuriant.
O: Eh?
C: 'Ee, Ah wor 'ungry-loike!
O: Ah, hungry!
C: In a nutshell. And I thought to myself, "a little fermented curd will do the trick," so, I curtailed my Walpoling activites, sallied forth, and infiltrated your place of purveyance to negotiate the vending of some cheesy comestibles!
O: Come again?
C: I want to buy some cheese.

(You can hear it here; UPDATE: taken offlinedue to bandwidth constraints) Anyway, Ink's surely right in saying:

Heh, so there is one American culture, one American language, & one American accent? Look at Hollywood: it exports a pretty culturally & linguistically homogenised product to the point that people say it’s actually doing a disservice to American film-making (i.e. the kind about Americans for Americans, rather than catering to the global market) - yet have they managed to make every American speak with the same accent? Some American is probably going to have to write in to refute these lazy assertions.

You hardly need an American to do that, just anyone who has encountered a variety of native English speakers from different parts of North America. Do you know that some people from Kansas actually sound like Singaporeans in their intonation? Or that Canadians have a tendency to pronounce "aboot" for "about". Or that "I'm going to make a move now" (i.e., going to leave now) draws a blank stare in San Francisco? All from personal experience.

UPDATE: From Tech Central Station (Jan 21), "FEER and the Unknown":

As the international economic centre of gravity keeps shifting to Asia, it has been widely presumed by Westerners that because their management skills are being drawn into this process, and because globalisation has been confused with Americanisation, then somehow Western culture will also keep marching ahead inside Asia.

But evidence is emerging that something different, something unanticipated, is happening. You can see signs in Hong Kong, where FEER [Far Eastern Economic Review] was edited throughout its 58 years. The middle-aged generation of Hong Kongers for the most part speak better English than today's generation in their teens and 20s.

Because the Asian elite, with characteristic Asian application, learn to speak English impressively in order to do business with foreigners, this does not mean that they choose English for information or recreation.

Read the whole thing.

Classical music used to fight crime

I'm not sure whether this would be applicable in Singapore--but since "low crime does not mean no crime", I'm sure it's worth a look--"Going off the rails" (Jan 20) by Norman Lebrecht (via Arts and Letters Daily):

An appalling, all-too-familiar CCTV picture appeared last week in many newspapers. It showed a man being chased by two thugs onto a live London Underground line, from which he miraculousy leaped to safety.

Scenes like these have prompted the authorities to take remedial action, and the weapon they have chosen is classical music. The approaches to three stations on the eastern edge of the District Line were subjected for six months to bursts of Mozart, Vivaldi, Handel and Mussorgsky. The result was a one-third reduction in the number of robberies and a general diminution of other anti-social incidents.

Cheap, clean and classy, the method is now being broached at a further 35 stations. It works as a deterrent effect rather than a corrective one. Hooligans are not reformed by Mozart, so much as driven away by a noise that is as alien and hostile to their world as whale song to a camel herd...

And of course the experts have something to say about this:

Psychologists, jumping onto a moving carriage, hypothesise that symphonic music leaves youths feeling 'uncool', disoriented and at risk of ridicule. Train managers on Tyneside in northeast England report that it eliminated low-level nuisances such as swearing, spitting and smoking. The second Rachmaninov piano concerto in C minor had the highest success rate (odd that this Brief Encounter soundtrack should still cling to the railways like lichen).

Actually, I'll settle for just plain no music in our coffee joints...

The aid situation in Aceh; with a side glance at pirates

From the Washington Post (Jan 23), "Tsunami Relief Effort Still Disorganized":

Aid workers "do what they think is best, and sometimes a particular country or a particular agency may well send materials or equipment that may not be what is required at that stage," Rob Holden, worldwide operations manager for the World Health Organization, said in an interview in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, on Saturday. "Or it may be that they haven't asked the wider question -- Is someone else sending that, do I need to send something else?"

The lack of overall coordination--leading to reduplication and uneven aid is a problem; but the proposed solution does not sound promising:

The report said that local and international aid groups needed to plan their efforts jointly. "If agencies . . . decide to set up an operation in a certain location, and you know nothing about it, it's very difficult to get coordinated," Holden said. The United Nations needs to send more personnel to areas with major concentrations of survivors, he said.

How exactly does having more bureaucrats on the ground help? It's not as if Aceh is not already overcrowded with aid workers (see below).

Ironically, Rob Holden actually pointed to what I think is the real source of the problem: the aid agencies are doing "what they think is best". The approach of Seacology I blogged earlier is so much more sensible.

Talking about overcrowding--from the Los Angeles Times (Jan 24), "In Aceh, Ambivalent Over Aid; Locals in the Indonesian province find it hard adjusting to the influx of foreigners. Though grateful for the help, some are still wary":

Until three weeks ago, this sleepy provincial capital was about as far off the beaten track as it got. Then the tsunami waves that swept away half of Banda Aceh washed in unprecedented numbers of foreigners — aid workers, soldiers, journalists, diplomats, psychiatrists, missionaries, environmentalists and just plain curiosity-seekers...

Today this city is in danger of being smothered by a surfeit of foreign attention and sympathy. One of the regions most ravaged by the tsunami, it has become the destination of choice for much of the world's humanitarian aid community. Dignitaries ranging from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell have posed for photographs at Banda Aceh's single-runway airport. A former sultan's palace has become a temporary encampment for an international media corps numbering in the hundreds...

But with all the aid money come aid workers, bringing helicopters, trucks, satellite telephones, rising prices and congestion...

And it's not even as if all of them are there to help:

"A lot of these people who come to Aceh are just voyeurs. They are taking photos and coming to look, using up food and gasoline, but they're not really helping," complained Andi Basrul, 45, who lost his wife and 11-year-old daughter in the tsunami.

For another report about the influx of aid workers causing inflation in the local economy, see the report cited in this earlier post. This may not be a problem if most of the locals stand to benefit. But clearly not all are in a position to (Still from the LA Times article):

With so many people dead and so much relief money floating around, some survivors stand to profit from the huge demand for labor, especially for interpreters, drivers, mechanics and construction workers.

"I feel so guilty, but I have to feed my family too," said Yusuf, 40, an English teacher who has temporarily given up his $170-a-month job in the public school system for a position with the World Food Program that pays more than three times as much.

Amazingly, Channel News Asia actually managed to put a positive spin on this turn of events (CNA, Jan 24):

And though the grim task of retrieving bodies isn't over just yet, the town is once again buzzing with life. Small eateries and even electrical appliance shops are reopening for business again. And entrepreneurial locals are even cashing in on the huge international presence here.

37-year-old Shabri Salam is making big money by renting his car to aid workers. He said, "Before the tsunami, I rented my car for 300,000 rupiah a day. After the tsunami I charged 1.3 million rupiah a day. I'm not cheating because there is more demand now and the customer is willing to pay."

Meanwhile driver Maskuri said, "Before the tsunami, oil and operating costs were quite cheap. Before it cost 300,000 rupiah for us drivers to rent a car from the company, now it's about 700,000 per day."

And with the hotel industry in disrepair, renting houses to foreigners is big business. Locals charge between US$100 to US$180 per house per night.

By all means milk the foreign aid workers...but the question is whether the same thing is causing unnecessary hardship to the other Indonesians who are not in a position to capitalise, or depleting other important services (remember the public school teacher above) of talent. Secondly, what happens when the aid workers leave? This is not a sustainable injection into the local economy.

I blogged earlier on my thoughts concerning why the SAF seems to be able to help effectively in Meulaboh. To summarise: (1) not because Singaporeans are especially smart; rather, a keen consciousness of the limitations of our resources acts as that great necessity that compels inventiveness. It forces us to get the best bang for the buck. (2) Coming from a very small country, we are much less tempted to think that somehow, we are indispensible to the Indonesians, or that we are their moral superior for coming to their rescue. (The same spirit underlies the case of Seacology.)

I am not particularly optimistic that large agencies--the UN, WHO, etc., types especially--with their sorts of budgets and mindsets, would be able to do this.

On a completely differen note--From The Globe and Main (Jan 25), "Did tsunamis ruin pirates of Sumatra?":

BANDA ACEH, INDONESIA -- Pirates are traditionally the scourge of the high seas, but last month's tall waves appear to have gotten the best of the buccaneers plying the waters off the east coast of Sumatra.

With assault rifles replacing the cutlass and night-vision goggles taking over from the spyglass, the maritime piracy industry was a growing problem in Southeast Asia -- especially off the Indonesian province of Aceh, on Sumatra's northern tip. But analysts say the raids have stopped, at least for now.

"It is still one of our piracy hot spots, but since the Dec. 26 tsunami, we have not recorded a single attack on shipping in the Malacca Strait," said Noel Choong, head of the London-based International Maritime Bureau's piracy watch centre in Kuala Lumpur.

"One reason may be that the physical assets they use -- the boats and the weapons -- were destroyed in the tsunami, and of course another possibility is that they themselves may have died."...

Hmm...I Just recalled that Myrick blogged about this earlier.

UPDATE: spoken too early after all. The ICC-CCS (International Chamber of Commerce - Commercial Crime Service) Piracy Report reports:

23.01.2005 at 0340 LT at Panjang port, Indonesia. Three robbers armed with long knives boarded a tanker at berth. D/O raised alarm and crew mustered. Robbers jumped overboard and escaped empty handed in a speedboat.

(Hat tip: EagleSpeak)

Final Red Cross Tally: US$40 million

CNA, Jan 24: One month after they started, the Singapore Red Cross Society's "Tidal Waves Asia Fund" collects a total of S$65 million (just under US$40 million). That's about US$9.25 per capita (Singapore's population is 4.3 million). Apparently, the number may still increase as "as collections from other NGOs have yet to be tallied."

To put it in perspective: Germany (population 82.4 million) would have collected US$762 million and the United States (population 293 million) US$2.7 billion at the same rate.

For the past two weeks or so, I was under the impression that most of the donations after the first week of collection were corporate givings. It turned out that I was mistaken: private individuals gave some S$46 million (69%) while the remaining S$20 million (31%) came from corporations and civic/religious organizations.

And this Red Cross volunteer reminds us of a group of unsung heroes in this story (ST Forum, Jan 24):

...They were the ones who stayed back to continue working through the night when the volunteers had called it a day. They were also the ones who were at Red Cross House the next morning before many of the volunteers arrived. They were the ones who had to fix the mess that over-zealous volunteers created in the first few hectic days. And while the volunteers would just walk away from the mess, this group would not leave until the work was done.

These wonderful people are the staff at Red Cross. While some may say that they are 'paid to do the job', from what I had seen while helping out there, the staff had to endure more than what anyone would be paid for.

From incessant calls by over-anxious donors asking for receipts, to accusations that donations were rejected (just because the donors' cheques had yet to be processed), to preposterous requests (like demanding receipts for donations that could not even pay for the postage), the staff had to answer in the nicest way possible to the concerned, the ignorant, and even the downright unreasonable.

Until you have helped out in processing the tens of thousands of cheques that arrived at Red Cross House for the Tidal Waves Asia Fund, you can never truly appreciate the enormity of the task that the Red Cross staff faced in getting to the stage of sending out official receipts.

This was on top of issuing thousands of receipts for cash donations, and dealing with the numerous cheques that bounced.

As a volunteer, I did not have to bother about the public's queries. I could even walk away from the unreasonable minority. But the staff at Red Cross could not. They were urged to 'look at the bigger picture'. They had to get the job done, not for the sake of the donors, but for the sake of the tsunami victims.

For that, Singaporeans owe them a big Thank You.

Tee Wei In

Amen!

What's in a name?

(Last updated Sep 19, 2005)

1. Where did the name come from? It all began in the days when this blog was still known as the "Singapore Tsunami Relief Effort"--dedicated to tracking the efforts of Singaporeans involved in helping our neighbors affected by the earthquake and tsunami of 26 Dec 2004. I received an email from Ria Tan of wildsingapore.com who asked if I know of any listing of "all the useful/interesting blogs focusing on the tsunami from the Singapore angle?" That phrase stuck--I thought it captured in a few words exactly what I was hoping to do then--chronicle the efforts of Singaporeans ("unsung and amazingly valuable") in the relief effort.

2. What's the deal with "a" Singapore Angle? I hesitated with "the Singapore Angle" as I did not think that my perspective would be representative of all Singaporeans (or for that matter, "Official Singapore")--it is only one take out of myriad possibilities. But it is "from a Singapore Angle" because the news junkie author does see himself as a Singaporean, and sees Singapore--the good, the bad, and the ugly included--as home. And mind you, he doesn't need no 'ational eddication to teach him that. So you see, the indefinite article is not dispensable.

3. What's the aim of the blog? The blog began because I wanted to capture the ongoing story of the tsunami relief effort and its effects on Singapore. Let's put it this way, the sheer swiftness of the official response and generosity of the public reaction took me by surprise. It's not that we have become paragons of virtue overnight--hardly. Rather, I didn't expect that we could be affected in the way we were. The question is: do the events of Dec '04 and Jan '05 potent a permanent shift in the self-understand and character of our society, or is it merely ephemeral? I want to know that; and though the scope of the blog has broadened with the name change, it is still very much my diary of that on-going discovery.

4. Why is this blog not particularly personal--I mean, where are the baby photos? No, this blog is not for that purpose. I have another blog which will go in that direction (the URL is somewhere on this page, if you are interested). Yet, in a way, this blog is very personal, just not in certain ways.

5. Will you be blogging about the Singapore Idol? No, there's a perfectly good blog about that here.

6. How do you feel about being a young political blogger in Singapore? I'm not sure what to say. In fact, I do not believe that the appellation properly applies to me at all. To begin with, I did not start my blog with political matters specifically in mind. As recounted in the answers to the above questions, my original intention was simply to cover the ongoing tsunami relief operations from a Singapore perspective. As I began to find my footing, and discovered that people were actually coming to my site, etc., I expanded the scope of the blog to cover "world and local events" from a Singapore perspective. What do these happenings mean to a Singaporean? How do they affect us? I suppose it was after that expansion of the scope of the blog that rather more explicitly "political" topics came up for discussion. But even then I hesitate to call myself a "political blogger"--I'm too much of an observer or spectator (there's too much of an academic in me). I do not have a social or political agenda beyong contributing to the ongoing civic discourse in Singapore.

US Navy does navigation surveys post-tsunami

From the US Navy's news website:

Navy Conducts Navigation Surveys Post-Tsunami
Release Date: 1/21/2005 3:00:00 PM
Journalist 1st Class (SCW/SS) James G. Pinsky, Navy News Service

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (NNS) -- A team of Sailors and civilians deployed from the Naval Oceanographic Office in Stennis, Miss., to USS Benfold (DDG 65) to provide tsunami relief assistance at the request of the Indonesian government.

The oceanographic survey team is conducting safety of navigation surveys of the altered Indonesian coastlines affected by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

"The International Survey Team was tasked with providing safety of navigation surveys throughout the Indonesian region," said Lt. Cmdr. Todd Barnhill, officer in charge, International Survey Teams 1 and 2. "We arrived on Jan. 5th, 2005, and have conducted two harbor surveys so far, looking for large obstructions, to ensure the harbor is clear. We are doing this in the hope that our charts will make it safe for larger ships to come into port to help with the relief efforts."

Read the rest here.

Sensible words about tsunami relief

From ENN.com, "A Tidal Wave of Lessons Learned", an ENN Commentary by Duane Silverstein (Jan 13):

There is a second lesson to be learned from this terrible tragedy: listen to the wisdom of the local people in deciding what type of aid they need. My organization, Seacology, focuses on preserving the environments and cultures of islands throughout the globe. We have many projects in the Indian Ocean and fortunately only four of these were damaged by the tsunami. While we will stand by our projects and will pay to repair or replace them all, we realize there is significant human suffering that has to be addressed as well. This realization came all too easily, as I have visited our project sites and have met many individuals who perished during the tsunami. We knew we wanted to establish a tsunami relief program but we wanted to do it in a way that was cost effective, targeted, had no red tape, no overhead and where we knew where every single cent we raised was going. And so we targeted four villages which have hosted Seacology projects--one in Sri Lanka, one in The Maldives, one in Thailand and one in the Andaman Islands.

We then asked our contacts who are highly respected leaders in each of these villages to identify what the local people feel are the priority needs for tsunami relief. We figure they would have a better idea than we would, sitting in an office in the U.S. The needs are as different as they are interesting. In the village in Sri Lanka, all the fishing equipment was destroyed and the fishermen can no longer earn a living. They requested new fishing nets and equipment, which is exactly what we will provide (cost per family: $95). In the Andaman Islands each family wants 20 chickens and a goat so they will have a long-term source of food and income (cost per family: $30). If someone had asked me on December 27 what the most critical needs of the impacted villages would be, I am sure that the provision of chickens and goats would not have been on the top of the list.

UPDATE: See also this from Seacology's own website. Highlight:

Unlike other relief funds, Seacology chose to target four villages where its locally based volunteers live and work to ensure all money raised will go directly to assist victims of the tsunami. The Seacology tsunami relief fund will be aimed at rebuilding the local economies and infrastructures of these four villages. "The only thing I ask for is a fishing net," said A.G. Nuwan of Sri Lanka. "We are poor people living for the day. We have no savings and need to get back to making money."

"This is precisely the type of relief we will provide," said Silverstein."This is precisely the type of relief we will provide," said Silverstein. The tsunami relief fund will be aimed at rebuilding the local economies and infrastructures of these four villages. "We have carefully designed our relief efforts so that we know the money will be spent efficiently and effectively on items the villagers themselves indicate are most needed. There will be no organization or government middlemen. The funds will go directly to the villages to provide fishing equipment, water supply systems and other critical needs to help get these villages back on their feet," added Silverstein.

They are also requesting for donation:

Unlike some large-scale relief efforts undertaken by other, more sizable organizations, 100 percent of donations to Seacology designated for tsunami relief will go toward assisting these four villages.

Go to their website for information if you want to to do so.

UPDATE: These guys are based in Berkeley, California:

Seacology
2009 Hopkins Street
Berkeley, CA 94707
USA

For all it's craziness, one of my favorite places in the world:

Two contrasting points of view on the upcoming Iraqi elections

What is the precise relevance to Singapore?--you might ask. I'm not sure about that at this point, except that (1) it follows up from this and this previous posts, and (2) one of the pieces is reprinted in the Straits Times...

From ST (Jan 24) Review, "A legal election does not always bring legitimacy", by a Ralf Dahrendorf:

It is vital to remember that elections alone do not guarantee legitimacy, even if they are seen to be free and fair...

First, turnout is crucial: who has voted and who has not. The second question is whether there remains any systematic, potentially violent opposition to the outcome...

Legitimacy by election is particularly problematic in countries with what might be called 'endemic minorities'.

In Canada, for example, it would be risky to overlook the special interests of Quebec. In Ukraine, the divergent interests of the country's west and east have to be recognised if legitimacy is to be established.

In Iraq, a technical majority in a wholly legal election is almost meaningless if the position of Sunni Muslims and Kurds is not explicitly recognised. The occupation powers are therefore right to be worried about an election in which massive abstention among Sunnis results in a large Shi'ite majority.

Which should be compared to this piece from Tech Central Station, "The Iraq Election and the Bogus Objections to It", by Stephen Schwartz:

But Western media and governments are also handicapped in dealing with Iraq by a peculiar double standard regarding the very status of the Iraqi Arab Sunnis as a formerly-ruling, and oppressive, minority. Twenty years ago, nobody would have listened to the argument that dismantling of the apartheid regime in South Africa and the holding of elections there should be blocked out of fairness to the white minority in that country. Few today listen to those who declare that fair elections and the forging of a new political system in Northern Ireland should be delayed out of concern for the feelings of the Protestant minority.

The Iraqi Arab Sunnis are no different from the white South Africans. (I pointed out this parallel in an interview with Netherlands Radio on January 14 [see here]). The Arab Sunnis have exploited and degraded the Shia majority in Iraq for a long, long time, reserving the wealth of the country for themselves. But why is the rule applied to the white South Africans not equally appropriate in Iraq?

The only explanation seems to be that the causes of Black South Africa and of the Northern Irish Catholics were considered leftist, and were therefore identified with opposition to U.S. and other government policies, while the cause of the Iraqi Shias is "contaminated" by association with the Bush administration.

There is another, similar precedent that deserves to be cited here. Six years ago, Serbian rule was overturned in Kosovo by NATO arms; but the Western left suddenly became more concerned about the fate of the usurping and violently oppressive Serbian minority in that territory than about the rights of the Albanian majority. Again, the difference between the Serbs and the white South Africans was simple: the former came to enjoy the sympathy of radical leftists enraged by U.S. unilateralism, while the latter were despised by the very same left. It should also be noted that in Kosovo and Iraq, in contrast with South Africa, the progressives of the United Nations opposed liberation. (The UN, interestingly enough, seems to know better than to try to interfere in Ulster.)

I do not believe the Iraqi Shias will exact bloody revenge from the Arab Sunnis after January 30 and the emergence of a new government, in which Shias will certainly form the majority. They have too much to lose, politically, socially, economically, and above all spiritually; a Shia rampage would alienate the Americans, who put Karbala in Shia hands after so many centuries.

I also do not believe the Arab Sunnis will support further terrorist aggression in Iraq after January 30. Rather, I predict they will follow one of two paths: either that of accommodation to the new administration, along the lines followed by white South Africans, or that of sporadic disruption as pursued by the Kosovo Serbs. In Kosovo, the foreign administration has accommodated the Serbs, contributing to discontent among the Albanians. We must hope this error is not repeated in Iraq...

Some critics of the Iraqi vote say it will lack legitimacy if a significant share of the Arab Sunnis -- that is, a large number among the 20 percent minority -- fail to cast ballots. That is absurd. At the end of the 20th century, the U.S. has had a voting turnout of only 48 percent; percentages of participation do not determine the legitimacy of elections. Iraqis of all religious groups will vote for the first time, and many will do so enthusiastically, with enormous appreciation of the U.S. and the coalition for making it possible. The outcome will encourage the march to popular sovereignty in Iran and the beginning of a transition to normality in Saudi Arabia...

Memo to the prince: make sure you are seen to be good -N.M.

Interesting article in the New York Times (Jan, 23), especially when read in conjunction with this book (or, for those pressed for time, this condensed version of the same book here. Hat tip: EagleSpeak for that last).

Earthquake struck Sulawesi, Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia - A powerful earthquake rocked parts of Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island on Monday, damaging houses and triggering widespread — but unfounded — fears of another tsunami in a country still traumatized by last month’s disaster. One person was killed and another injured, police said.

Read the whole thing. Other develpments:

- The Japanese military aid mission has arrived in Indonesia.
- A US journalist, William Nessen, was deported for immigration offences during a reporting trip to Aceh.
- Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said his country would host the first dialogue between the Indonesian government and the Acehnese rebels since a truce broke down in early 2003.

Read them all here.

"Gosh, Cher, my rate of return really is increasing!"

How can I possibly resist linking to an article that contains a paragraph like this:

[On "the extraordinary American capacity to compensate for massive stupidity":] Dummies at the fast food joints? No problem--we'll put up pictures of the meals for the illiterate, and install clever cash registers to make change for the mathematically-addled. Knuckleheads controlling the public schools? We'll devise standardized tests to identify and promote the genuinely gifted. Nincompoops at the voting booth? Behold the butterfly ballot -- an instant IQ test to weed out the votes of the extraordinarily dull-witted. Is it any wonder that a best-selling line of books in America is titled "________ for Dummies?" In America, stupidity is no bar to the pursuit and achievement of excellence.

Read the whole thing.

While we are on the subject of the Social Security debate that is now going on in the US: it is not surprising that Singapore's CPF will eventually come up for a (favorable) comparison: here. UPDATE: Just recalled that The Singapore Commentator had something to say about this three weeks ago.

A letter to ST Forum Page (UPDATED)

Regarding the matter of the previous post--which is this letter on today's ST Forum Page, I've penned the below response and emailed it to the ST Editor. If past experience is any guide, it will probably not be published. This is why I'm leaving a copy--an unedited copy--here. The more extended (and probably more cool headed analysis is in the abovementioned previous post)

UPDATE: Come to think of it...the letter is probably more hotheaded than it could have been. Well, if somehow the author of the original ST letter were to read it, I hope that she would understand that I do not mean it personally.

UPDATE 2: Watch this Iraqi election commercial with translations from Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)--the closing tagline: "Don't worry about Iraq. We are its people. We will allow no one to deprive us of our rights. For the building of Iraq: Peace, freedom and democracy." (Hat tip: Jeff Jarvis)

UPDATE 3: Someone else who thought the letter infuriating (here).

* * * * *

Let me say up front that even if Miss Vanessa Loo Min Yan's argument (ST Forum Jan, 24: "U.S. PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION--Ideology can't be forced on others") is wrong, it does not follow that the US is right to intervene in Iraq. That latter position I shall leave to better minds to present. My concern here is only to point out that Miss Loo's argument is both specious and--whether she intends it or not--insulting to the Iraqi people.

First, having noticed that the word "freedom" appears 21 times in President Bush's 17-minute speech, surely Miss Loo could not have missed the conspicious absence of the word "Iraq". Nevertheless, she says: "as true demonstration of his [Bush] belief in liberation, he declared war on Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein so Iraqis could be freed from the tyrant." This is actually a more lofty reading of US intentions than as publicly articulated in those heady days of April 2003. But given Bush's speech, not an unreasonable one. She wants to argue that despite this noble intention, the US is nevertheless wrong.

Her argument basically boils down to this: if the Iraqis truly wanted to be liberated from Saddam Hussein's rule, they would have been willing to fight for this liberation on their own. But in fact, the Iraqis are not willing to fight for liberation from Saddam Hussein's rule on their own. Yet only if the Iraqis truly wanted to be liberated from Saddam Hussein's rule would it be right for the US (or anyone else) to intervene and help liberate them--because "It is not right to force ideology on those who are unwilling". It thus follows that the US is wrong to intervene and help liberate the people of Iraq from Saddam Hussein's rule.

The argument as formulated is logically valid--I've made sure of that--but its premises are false. First, the author has conveniently forgotten the bloody Basra and Kuddish uprisings against Saddam in 1991, and the many attempted coups against his rule over the past decades. Second, she has also ignored the fact that Saddam's tyranny was efficient and ruthless enough to crush all of its opponents. An entire regime with various means of coercion was complicit with this oppression, and its members benefitted from it. Saddam understood only too well the notorious advice given by a Roman emperor to his successor: keep the soldiers happy and ignore the rest. Even today, these ex-Baathist elements still continue to do their work of terror--because they understand only too well that their bloodstained hands gives them no future in a free and democratic Iraq. With all this in mind, is it so hard to see how without external intervention, it would have been nigh impossible for the Iraqi people to throw off their yoke?

But this is not all. A desire to be free from oppression--and a desire that others be free from tyranny--is no mere "ideology" as Miss Loo seems to think. Having counted the number of times the word "freedom" appears in his speech, surely Miss Loo would have noticed that Bush was not talking about spreading full blown American style liberal democracy. It is probably silly to think that most Iraqis desire that. But Bush was talking about "imperative of self-government--because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave." What I find insulting to the good people of Iraq is the thought that, somehow, they could desire to be oppressed; that their inability to cast off their oppressors should be taken as a sign that they love their own slavery.

Whatever the merits of the US intervention, it is already done. Was it not former PM Goh who said: "The US has paid a price for going into Iraq. The price is worth it if out of the ashes of war emerges a stable, peaceful and new Iraq which Iraqis are proud of and their neighbours can live with, and an Iraq which contributes to Middle East peace and stability." By all means the Iraqi people have to take upon themselves the duty of defending their own freedom, and I have faith that they would. And the rest of the free world--our own Singapore included--has a duty to help them get on their feet; and so we have according to our limited capabilities. Implying that the Iraqi people somehow loved to be oppressed does not help one bit.

* * * * *

On an argument about freedom

UPDATE: I've sent the response to ST Forum Page, reproduced in the post that immediately comes above this one. It is shorter than this following analysis and critique, but also less coolheaded. Take your pick.

UPDATE 2: For context, here's the link to G. W. Bush's Inauguration Speech.

Just read this letter by Miss Loo on the ST forum page. I'll consider it piece by piece (not necessarily in the order of their appearance though).

First:

[I]t is ironic the Iraqis were not given the freedom to state their views on whether they wanted to be freed or not. It was simply assumed they wanted to be liberated from their tyrant leader. To us, it may seem illogical Iraqis would want to remain ruled by a leader we insist was ruthless and inhumane. Nevertheless, as outsiders, we do not have the right to intervene in such 'family affairs'. If the Iraqis truly wanted to be liberated, they would have fought for freedom themselves

Only when people are willing to fight for freedom, to show how desperately they crave it, do they show they want freedom. Only then can we, as outsiders, help them in their cause. Until then, we cannot help them choose their cause. We can help them, but we cannot fight a war on their behalf. They will have to fight for it themselves.

Ok, the following seems clear enough from the above:

(1) The Iraqis truly wanted to be liberated (from S. Hussein and Co.) if and only if they are willing to fight for this liberation on their own.

(2) Only if the Iraqis truly wanted to be liberated (from S. Hussein and Co.) would it be right for the US to intervene and help liberate them.

What is slightly less clear is whether the author thinks that the Iraqis really do want to be liberated (from S. Hussein and Co.). She is not explicit about that; still, I think the drift of the passage above (and the letter as a whole) points to:

(3) The Iraqis are not willing to fight for liberation (from S. Hussein and Co.) on their own. (Implicit)

Therefore: (4) The Iraqis do not truly wanted to be liberated (from S. Hussein and Co.). (From (1)+(3))

This allows the conclusion:

(5) It is not right for the US to intervene to help liberate the Iraqis. (From (2)+(4))

The argument so far is valid--I've made sure of that. Its soundness now depends purely on the truth or acceptibility of the basic premises (1), (2) and (3). (1) could be taken as some sort of knowledge condition telling us when and only when are we allowed to conclude that the Iraqis truly want freedom. (3) is the (empirical) denial that the condition is met. (2) states the underlying ethical principle at work.

Interestingly, (2) is not left unargued for. Consider these passages from balance of the letter:

It is not right to force ideology on those who are unwilling...If the ideal of freedom is imposed on a people who did not ask for it, they will be outraged that their right to lead their lives the way they want is not respected...You cannot force your ideology on others.

The core comes down to this: it is not right to force an ideology on those who are unwilling, or roughly,

(6) If the people of country X are unwilling to live according to ideology Y, then it is wrong for another country Z to impose Y upon X.

The specific "X", "Y" and "Z" being Iraq, "the ideal of freedom" and the US. I am not happy with the word "ideology" but I'll let it slide for now. In any case, I think the author's intention is that (6) somehow underlies and supports (2).

[Digression: The rest of the letter (not quoted), however, goes in different directions. For instance, the historical case of the US founding is actually irrelevant to the issue at hand. I'll take it as factual that "the US did begin as a free country, nor was it forced to adopt freedom, that it wanted freedom and fought for it...[and] freedom is still the centre of American values because the gruelling fight for their ideology made Americans treasure it." The analogy that might be drawn would be that unless the Iraqis want freedom and are willing to fight for it, they would not treasure freedom--even if they have it. Plausible; but irrelevant to whether it is right or wrong to "impose" freedom upon them.

Secondly, the stuff about the "best hope for peace in our world" being "tolerance of differences in race, religion and ideology" is also irrelevant. Not only is it irrelevant, it is not even plausible--there are limits to toleration even for the most tolerant. If your neighboring country wants to invade your country's land and wipe out the population (because they think you are of a subhuman species and polluting their holy land), then "tolerating" them will not lead to peace. At least, not such peace as worth having. But, as I said, it is irrelevant.]

Ok, is the argument sound? As said above, the route from (1)-(3) to (5) is logically valid. Whether it is sound will thus depend on whether (1)-(3) are true or acceptable. Are they? Consider:

(1) The Iraqis truly wanted to be liberated (from S. Hussein and Co.) if and only if they are willing to fight for this liberation on their own.

(3) The Iraqis are not willing to fight for liberation (from S. Hussein and Co.) on their own. (Implicit)

For all it's worth, I do not think that (1) is actually true. It is perfectly conceivable that someone could "truly want" something without being willing to "fight for it". But I'll be charitable and construe (1) in such a way that it comes out true: the Iraqis truly wanted to be liberated--in the sense that they are willing to fight for this liberation on their own--if and only if they are willing to fight for this liberation on their own (updating premise (2) accordingly). Tautologous, but true.

What then, is her evidence for (3)? Is it because they have failed to actually overthrow Saddam? But that would be a ridicously high bar--and renders the issue of intervention irrelevant. Presumably she does think that sometimes, a people may be willing to fight against a tyrant but be unable to overthrow him--in that situation (and for her, only in that case), it is justified for an outside force to intervene to help the uprising. Once we clear this up, it begins to look as if the author of the letter has not heard of the Basra and Kurdish uprisings of 1991.

But that is already granting too much. Why is it so hard to believe that Saddam had Iraq under such tight control that even the disaffected--no matter how much they hated him and wanted to be freed from his rule--were unable and unwilling to just rise up (and get slaughtered)? Here, I recall a piece of advise that one Roman emperor gave to his successor: keep the soldiers happy and damn the rest (cf. N. Machiavelli, The Prince, XIX). To say the least, Saddam seemed to have been quite good at doing just that. (It is not surprising that the former elements of the Baathist regime are unhappy that they had been liberated--the gravy train was derailed by the coming of Uncle Sam.) If this is right, then there is reason to believe that even if the Iraqis "truly wanted" freedom, they would not have been able to do much fighting for that freedom on their own. This is beginning to change though (see this).

But the more pernicious thing--whether intended or not--underlying these parts of the letter is the thought that somehow, the Iraqi people would willingly submit to the ruthless tyranny that Saddam wielded. The author admits that "it may seem illogical Iraqis would want to remain ruled by a leader we insist was ruthless and inhumane". If "we"--including the author of the letter--really did insist that Saddam's rule was ruthless and inhumane, then "we" are not--at the same time in the same breath--at liberty to walk away from this insistance and retreat to the safer distance of saying that--"oh, that's just our insistance".

When we believe that X is wrong, by all means we are the ones who believe so; but what we believe is that X is wrong. We could have believed falsely--and those who disagree with us (those who believe that X is right) could attempt to argue with us and give us evidence that we have believed falsely. They could try to convince us that, in fact, X is right; and we could remain open to such persuasion. But what we could not do is both actually believe that X is right and disarm that with the merest "but that's just what I believe".

The question now is: is the author willing to insist that Saddam's rule was ruthless and inhumane, that he was a real tyrant? Or does she think that his rule was not ruthless and inhumane? That "we"--supposedly as opposed to the Iraqis--are the ones doing the insistance is hardly the issue.

Why go into such subtleties? Because it underlies the author's claim that:

(6) If the people of country X are unwilling to live according to ideology Y, then it is wrong for another country Z to impose Y upon X.

and therefore...

(2) Only if the Iraqis truly wanted to be liberated (from S. Hussein and Co.) would it be right for the US to intervene and help liberate them.

For her, the desire not to live under a tyranny is a mere ideology. It's just something some people happened believe in.

But it is not a mere ideology--I am not talking about liberal democracy, US style and the whole works--but a simple desire not to be oppressed. Why should that be a mere ideology?

Think of it this way: suppose there are slaves (in the 19th century deep south of the USA, say) who believed firmly that slavery is their lot in life. They do not have a clear desire for freedom. In fact, they do not want to be liberated. Does it follow that it is wrong for Lincoln to pronounce them emancipated? And for conscientious Americans to work--over the next century (and still ongoing)--to eradicate the last bonds and discriminations that oppress the descendents of these freed slaves?

The issue is not whether a people is willing to live according to some ideology--but whether freedom from oppression is something that is worthy of universal desire. I do not see an argument in the letter that it is not.

Indonesian cleric holds forth on Muslim perception of the US

From this AFP article via ST (Jan 24):

JAKARTA - WITH US helicopters dropping noodles instead of bombs and soldiers carrying rice rather than guns, the United States was confident its enormous efforts to help Asian tsunami victims would boost its tattered image in the Muslim world.

But nearly a month into the campaign , US President George W. Bush's predictions of a post-tsunami detente with Muslims appear as likely as immediate peace in Iraq or a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

'In general, many people here still maintain suspicions about America,' said Mr Din Syamsuddin, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, the nation's highest Islamic authority.

Perhaps. But really, AFP (and ST--hear that, if any of you are reading this) should provide some context by at least telling us a bit more about Mr Din Syamsuddin--not necessarily to discredit him or anything like that; but to equip the reader to understand where he is coming from.

1. From this Feb 18, 2003 article published by the German center for trade in industry in Indonesia:

He is the charismatic 44-year-old Din Syamsuddin currently vice chairman of Indonesia's second largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, which claims a membership of 30 million people.

He is also a front person for the Indonesian Ulemas Council, a group that sets guidelines for the world's largest Muslim population.

Though Syamsuddin favours a more conservative Islam, he is far from radical in his views. He holds a doctorate from the University of California. He appears to be in touch with and could even be considered a leader of the two most important trends in Indonesia at the moment - growing Islamic conservatism and a backlash against the United States' foreign policy.

(UCLA on Fullbright, to be precise; but to continue:)

He says he is all for "internal debate" on the possibilities of Indonesia adopting sharia law. And he's never one to miss an opportunity to voice his opinions of Washington's war on terror, and particularly President Bush whom he describes as "a drunken horse."

2. This is the same cleric who made headlines around the world by his preaching on the significance of the tsunami (AP Jan 7, via ABC):

In the first Friday prayers there since the Dec. 26 tsunami, preacher Din Syamsuddin told around 2,000 worshippers in the staunchly Islamic province they may have brought the disaster upon themselves.

"Allah will not love us without also testing our love for him," said Syamsuddin, who is head of Indonesia's Council of Clerics. "Maybe this disaster was because we have forgotten him and his teachings and failed to implement (Islamic) Shariah law."

This much seems clear: this is not a man who has good feelings about the US to begin with. In fact, he--shall we say--dislikes the Bush administration.

But before you get any wrong ideas, Syamsuddin is not with the Islamic terrorists. In fact, he (and his organisation) condemns the practice of suicide bombing, as this Laksamana.net (Nov 27, 2002) article indicates:

The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has prohibited the nation’s Muslims from committing suicide bombings for any purpose, as such action is contrary to Islamic principles...

MUI secretary general Din Syamsuddin urged the courts to mete out severe punishment to the Bali bombers. "We hope severe punishments will be passed on these perpetrators because they have taken so many lives," he said.

So what gives? I would have to say that I am not convinced that Din Syamsuddin is an unbiased witness here. It is entirely likely that he is right about some Muslims in Indonesia, perhaps even a significant segment of them--especially the ones who clamoured for the swift departure of US forces in Aceh. But that the Acehnese Indonesian Muslims who were helped in relief operations by the US forces do not view the US with some degree of gratitude and friendship, that I find hard to believe.

If you have any information, I would certainly like to hear it.

Foreign troops in Indonesia

Interesting bit of news found on www.mcot.org:

Indonesia need not be too suspicious about foreign troops in Nangroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) because they are there to assist the government and nation in overcoming the problems caused by the recent natural disaster, a cabinet minister said.

"I think we should not let our suspicions go to the extent of discrediting them. About their activities which according to certain quarters are beyond humanitarian motives, let us leave this matter to the experts," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab said in Banda Aceh when contacted from Jakarta on Saturday.

Sounds sensible enough.I don't understand what this next bit means though:

He said, if the foreign military personnel really had an agenda not in keeping with humanitarian activities, it was better not to consider it skeptically.

Anyway, this seems to be part of what's causing the concern in Jakarta:

Earlier, Syamsir Siregar, chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), reminded Indonesian authorities to increase their alertness because the foreign military had other objectives beside helping to alleviate the tsunami victims' suffering. He said foreign forces in NAD had made three-dimension photos of the province.

Let's hope this turns out to be a false alarm. Elsewhere, we read on news.au.com that:

SOME tsunami survivors in Indonesia's cramped refugee camps do not want foreign volunteers, including US forces, to leave, fearing their government would not be able to relieve their deep suffering without help.

(Read the whole thing.) Probably true. But as the USMC office in this previous post noted, even the US military may not exactly be the best people for the next phase--rebuilding.

Red Cross Update (Jan 22)

As of Jan 22, 2005, the Singapore Red Cross Society's "Tidal Waves Asia Fund" has collected S$55,000,000 (about US$33,500,000 or US$7.8 per capita), excluding the S$1,000,000 donation made by the Singapore Government. The collection drive will end Tuesday, Jan 25.

Also: from (CNA, Jan 22):

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been using Singapore as its logistics base for its tsunami relief efforts in Aceh since Jan 1. And since the tsunami disaster, Singapore's logistics firms have been working overtime handling both local and international clients.

60,000 sets of cooking utensils from Dubai, 120,000 bedsheets from China, three million bars of soap from Singapore--these are just some of the items to be packed into family kits which the ICRC hopes can reach 300,000 displaced people in the Indonesian province of Aceh.

The material is going to some 60,000 Aceh families, about 18kg of stuff for each family packed into kits measuring 60x40cm (about 23x15"). They did not come from donations in kind, but are purchased from local suppliers. From ST (Jan, 23):

Since Jan 11, workers at the SembCorp Logistics warehouse in Clementi Loop have been working furiously to pack the family kits of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). More than 10,000 of these kits need to be shipped out to Lhokseumawe and Banda Aceh in Aceh, Indonesia, this evening along with 230 tents.

Each family kit contains essential shelter and hygiene items: one roll of light rope, three bedsheets, one towel, 5kg of soap, one 20-litre collapsible jerrycan, one kitchen kit comprising pots and pans, cutlery, bowls, plates and cups, 12 candles, 10 boxes of matches and one kerosene lantern. A 6m by 4m tarpaulin, four blankets and two sleeping mats are part of the kit, but packed separately for easier distribution.

Each kit costs about US$60 (S$98) and is meant for a family of five. The Red Cross hopes to give the kits to 60,000 families. The first shipment of 8,000 kits was sent last week.

Singaporean dentists returns from Thailand

And they weren't even there to tend to the living:

SINGAPORE: The first batch of Singaporean dentists who volunteered their services in tsunami-hit Khao Lak in Thailand have returned home. Sharing their experience with Channel NewsAsia, they said it was an unpleasant task to carry out dental charting for the dead in Khao Lak. Each of the three returning dentists said they had to handle five to six corpses daily, a task they found daunting initially...

Dental charting being the the main way through which tsunami victims are being identified--when their bodies are severely decomposed. Read on here (CNA Jan 22).

Main US relief coordination center handing over to the Thais

This is the whale counterpart to our own ikan bili (Malay: anchovy) version reported earlier here:

The huge American-led co-ordination centre at the heart of the tsunami relief operation has started to wind down operations with the handover of relief efforts in Thailand to local authorities.

Established on January 1, the centre has co-ordinated all relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand, making daily decisions on what resources are available, where they are most needed and the most efficient way to get them there.

The base of operation is Utapao Air Naval Base, three hours south-east of Bangkok--and American presence here goes back to Vietnam war times:

The base has a long association with US forces. American B52s were based there in the 1960s during the Indochina bombing campaigns and it served as a refuelling stop during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. It is also used for an annual joint US-Thai military exercise, Cobra Gold.

This following bit has details on what's still one and for how long:

"Our teams are still in Phuket, but we are briefing the American ambassador ... on our plans to transition the entire effort back to the international community and the Thai Government," he [Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Krieg, USMC] said. "We expect within the next two weeks to be done in Sri Lanka." He expects the Indonesian effort to continue at least another month.

And this one seems to be a twin to something that Colonel Tan Chuan-Jin (SAF HATF, Meulaboh) said (toward the end of this post).

Colonel Krieg said: "Our mission is an initial life saving response while the international community gathers to take over. We can rapidly deploy to begin to provide relief, but long-term reconstruction ... we are not equipped to do that."

Read the whole thing here (Sydney Morning Herald, Jan 22).

Swords or plowshares* in Sir Lanka and Indonesia

From Reuters (Jan 22):

KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said on Saturday they had put politics aside to clear up after the Asian tsunami, but added that swifter, fairer government aid distribution could boost peace prospects.

In contrast to their threat in November to resume a war for autonomy that killed 64,000 people, the rebels urged Sri Lanka's government to do more to build trust and open "new perspectives" for peace talks stalled for nearly two years.

"This is a sudden intervention of nature, for which we have to give total attention, leaving the political aspect aside," chief rebel negotiator Anton Balasingham said after top level talks between reclusive Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and Norwegian peace envoys...

(For the "Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam", see this article from Global Security.) In the meantime (AFP, Jan 22) US State Department officials

...express support for the resumption of peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, suspended since April of 2003...

And in Aceh, Indonesia, things are moving along as well (AFP, Jan 22):

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AFP) - Indonesia ramped up its peace bid for tsunami-hit Aceh, saying it would consider anything except independence in talks with separatist rebels, while trying to reassure the world that relief aid was safe from endemic corruption.

"We will entertain any demand short of independence," Social Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab, who is jointly overseeing relief operations in Aceh with army chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu, said in the devastated capital of Banda Aceh.

Shihab also indicated the government may be willing to accept international help in negotiating an end to the conflict, which has long been regarded as a strictly internal issue.

"This is the time for Indonesia and the global community to do its utmost efforts to get back Aceh into a peaceful period," he said, without elaborating.

However (AFP, Jan 22),

"We will entertain any demand short of independence," Social Welfare Minister Alwi Shihab, who is overseeing relief operations in Aceh, told reporters in the devastated capital of Banda Aceh.

See also this earlier post for some context.

* * * * *

*The title, if you know your Old Testament, alludes to Isaiah 2:4

And He will judge between the nations,
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares
      and their spears into pruning hooks
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.

The passage pictures an eschatological time when war and strife cease under Messiah's rule. The highlighted phrase is sometimes (not as often today) used idomatically to refer to the coming of peace after a period of war, or to look forward to such a time.

Interestingly, there is an (almost) equivalent Chinese idiom: 化干戈为玉帛 hua gan ge wei yu bo: to transform the shield and the halberd into jade and silk--to turn hostility into friendship.

Swords or plowshares: as the peace talks in Aceh and Sri Lanka proceed, a world awaits the answer to that question.

Technical smechnical... pitching for Firefox

The blog was 'down' (sort of) between about 9:15pm Jan 22 to 11:45am Jan 23 (US/Canada Eastern Time) because of a missing javascript tag in a post. That little mishap caused the blog not to display properly in Internet Explorer 6 (blank from the middle of the second post on, sidebar missing, etc).

The interesting thing, however, is that the blog worked just fine in Firefox (and Netscape), which is why I never discovered the problem until a friend email in the morning. Another piece of evidence that the new upstart is much more robust and forgiving.

So: what are you waiting for--make the switch today.

UPDATE: On www.technorati.com

While I'm at it, let me also say something about www.technorati.com. A nifty website. As the Diplomad puts it: "You write in the search window the name or URL of a blog and -- presto! -- in under a second you'll get a fairly complete listing of all the blogs mentioning the one you selected." (A whole wave of surfers seems to have found this blog via technorati yesterday after reading the above mentioned post.)

But the empahsis on fairly is needed; technorati did not find this reference to my blog from tsunamihelp.splinder.com:

giovedì, 20 gennaio 2005
Blog:
Singapore Tsunami Relief Effort[inglese](singapore) ha alcuni interessanti post sull'indonesia

Singapore Muslims helping out

ST Jan 22:

THE 'tremendous outpouring of compassion' by Muslims for victims of the recent killer waves has prompted the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and mosques here to set up a fund to aid victims of disasters in and out of the country.

Donations from worshippers will be set aside twice a year for the collection, called Rahmatan Lil Alamin, or Blessings For All. To get it going, Muis has put in $100,000. Boxes at which the contributions can be deposited were placed at 68 mosques yesterday.

Looks like they are in this for the long haul, which is good.

From the community to the individual--ST Jan 22:

CIVIL servant Mohammad Sukaimi Ali took to the road at 9pm yesterday, loping along at a steady pace in a red singlet and black shorts, with 10 of his friends and supporters beside him. The 25-year-old will stop running only at 9pm today. His 24-hour, 120km-long marathon--which will see him running 10km laps between the Amber Beacon Tower in East Coast Park and the public carpark beyond Bedok Jetty--aims to raise $10,000 for tsunami relief efforts...

This is not the first time Mr Sukaimi is attempting such a feat. Last year, he ran 120km in 23 hours around the island in memory of the victims of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.

The money collected from the donations and sales of T-shirts and stickers at the start of his run, at the lifeguard post near Marine Cove, will be given to the Singapore Red Cross.

Highlights from ST Meulaboh (Jan 22)

With the SAF and SCDF returning to Singapore, the Straits Times (Jan 22) is all over Meulaboh...some highlights:

Job done, SAF leaves Meulaboh:

Private Mohamad Fadli bin Mohamad Noor, 23, a full-time national serviceman who is a storeman with the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade, said: 'If there's a chance to stay, I'll stay. 'For me, my parents are there in Singapore but many people here have lost their families and I'm glad I was here to help them.'

SAF, SCDF men head back home:

The commander of the Indonesian military garrison in Meulaboh, Colonel Geerhan Lantara, yesterday praised the Singapore relief mission for its low-key approach. 'They came down and immediately adapted to the local cultures...'

Meulaboh rebuilds:

As if in defiance of the destruction caused by the tsunami, a few skeletal structures of new houses are sprouting across Meulaboh as residents take steps to rebuild their lives. Many, like Madam Yuspina, are back on their feet, pulling zinc sheets over shattered roofs or busy building themselves new homes from salvaged wood.

Call her obstinate, but the 50-year-old granny has chosen to rebuild on the exact same spot 300m from the beach where the waves washed away her old home as well as one of her daughters. 'If I must die in another tsunami, so be it,' the undaunted survivor says, wiping away tears.

Wave and smile for S'pore:

SINGAPOREANS will find that there are few places which welcome them more than Meulaboh right now. This is a small town where a stranger is first greeted with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, usually a cold stare.

But once the Singapore flag, plastered on the numerous Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) trucks that trundle through town and on crate upon crate of aid boxes everywhere, comes into view, that stare melts away and is replaced by an enthusiastic wave, smile or a thumbs-up.

One warrant officer, two soccer balls and a game plan:

One recent morning, a warrant officer clambered aboard a Fast Landing Craft holding two soccer balls. They seemed out of place among the pallets of relief supplies and equipment on the boat, but upon reaching shore, the officer attracted a bunch of kids and a game soon began. No less important a contribution, in terms of helping tsunami victims ease back into normalcy.

Colonel's big task--rebuilding homes, spirit:

Given the size of the task, Col Geerhan [TNI commander in Meulaboh] is remarkably nonplussed. He boils down his objective into a key task: 'All I have to do is try my best to build Meulaboh into a normal area.'

He has inspiration for this - a VCD which shows the damage to the area in the immediate aftermath of Dec 26. 'There is already a total difference now,' he boomed. For that, he only has two words for the government and people of Singapore: 'Terima kasih.'

The body pickers:

BODY picker--most would run a mile from such a macabre job description even if it paid a million dollars. But many volunteers such as Mr Chandra Wei Kok put their careers on hold and spent a week travelling to earthquake-hit Meulaboh to do it for free.

The 45-year-old Indonesian insurance agent with Prudential in Jakarta was moved by a local Metro TV broadcast about the lack of willing hands to take on this gruesome task. 'We heard corpses were spread all over, even near the city centre,' he said. 'We had to act quickly otherwise they could spread an epidemic.'

The psychiatrists:

Without the luxury of repeated visits and weeks and months of therapy to treat such psychological trauma, they improvised by cramming several weeks of counselling into one compact, 40-minute session. They also avoided the use of drugs.

When they found out that the Acehnese open up more readily in communal sessions instead of one-on-one, private counselling sessions, they organised it so the patients could gather in large groups.

Meulaboh's Lifeline:

The agonising 18-hour drive from Medan to Meulaboh bumps and snakes through tricky, unlit mountain terrain said to be rife with armed separatists from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). But it is a journey worth making for Mr Iskandar and his battered truck, chock-full of instant noodles, water and medicine. 'It is hard work, but I know many families are waiting to get all these food and medical supplies,' he said.

This one is a little more worrying:

Most ethnic Chinese flee damaged city:

BUSINESSMAN Li Zhongxiang was sure he could count on seeing some familiar faces among the small Chinese community in Meulaboh. But as he began looking up his friends from house to house, it dawned on him that the exodus of ethnic Chinese from this tsunami-devastated town was much swifter than he had imagined.

'I thought 60 or 70 per cent of the Chinese families would flee, but it looks like over 80 per cent may have already left,' said a dejected Mr Li, who is now seeking refuge in the house of a Javanese friend.

Born and bred in Meulaboh, Mr Li, 63, reckoned there were about 200 Chinese families living in the western coastal town, and they accounted for about 5 per cent of the population before the earthquake and tsunami. They were mostly traders, with considerable clout in the local economy. They ran a whole gamut of businesses, from jewellery shops and provision stores to textile factories, according to Mr Li, who himself runs an ice factory in the town's outskirts.

Most of these well-to-do Chinese families lived in Meulaboh's city centre, which bore the brunt of the massive waves that crashed down on Dec 26. It is not known how many died in the disaster. But anecdotally, Mr Li's wife, Madam Mai Yuhuan, 53, lamented: 'Every Chinese family was hit, not one was spared.'

Meulaboh: A Milestone

After some three weeks of relief operations the SAF Humanitarian Assistance Task Force depart from Meulaboh, bidding the people of Indonesia an emotional farewell, though not before joining the local residents in a very special Hari Raya Haji celebration:

After the prayers, the SAF relief team donated 20 bulls to the local community for the korban, the Muslim religious sacrifice. The meat will be distributed to residents, including survivors living at the displaced persons camps. (CNA, Jan 21)

With the departure of the two remaining LSTs, a chapter in Singapore relief efforts here have been closed, though the story is hardly over. The NGOs who have taken over have already started work. And more are on their way.

A couple of days before this, Augustine Anthuvan of Radio Singapore International intervied Colonel Tan Chuan-Jin(TCJ), Commander of the SAF Humanitarian Assistance Support Group to Indonesia (the interview was first broadcasted Jan 18; it can be found here: CNA, Jan 19). Some interesting highlights from what the Colonel said follows.

On the "can-do" spirit of the Indonesians:

What strikes me about Indonesia is the spirit of the people. Certainly the spirit of the people here in Meulaboh. I mean in Indonesia, they always have this saying, "Semua Bisa Diatur", anything is possible, anything can be arranged. And seeing how the people pick themselves up and they moved on. I mean, the devastation is on a scale that none of us would ever see again in our lifetime, hopefully. But the fact that they could just come to terms with it, in whatever way they can, I'm sure there are a lot of sufferings, mental anguish they still go through, but yet, the town has started to clean up, some normalcy has returned, markets are beginning to set up.

And then what was also telling was the TNI themselves, I mean a lot of the soldiers and officers here have lost their family members but yet, they laboured on endlessly, trying to establish a system, trying to organize things. That to me is really the hope, for Meulaboh, I think for Aceh as a whole. That whatever the pace, however it may turn out, the reconstruction will happen.

On the bridging and coordinating role the SAF found itself playing:

When we came in, and we realized that some NGOs were beginning to trickle in. And our ability in speaking in both languages and understanding the local culture and the way things work, we work together with the TNI, and between us and them, to coordinate the NGO effort.

(I've posted about this previously, e.g., here.) Hopefully, the Singaporean NGO personnel can continue to help out with this sort of assistance. It's amazing how much of this boils down simply to the fact that the Singaporeans involved can speak both Behasa and English.

On applying a limited amount of relief resources smartly:

The whole logistics system itself was burdened. So it became quite clear to us as to how can we try to organize this, to do what I would call a more precise application of relief and aid. I mean the analogy I've been using is that, it's far better to have say half a million dollars or million dollars worth of aid that is applied in a correct fashion, at the correct time, as compared to say 20 million dollars worth of aid stuck somewhere in a warehouse.

That is something that we have been trying to do, and it's quite new for us, but I think its worked quite well. We've got some sort of system going, where we understand what is needed on the ground, and then to coordinate with the NGOs, and even with the relief coordination centres back home in Singapore, and then for the supplies to be pulled in by either Chinooks or other means into this area. So those were things I think we brought with us here, and the local authorities were kind enough to accommodate us and work with us.

I suspect that the SAF was able to do all that not because Singaporeans are especially smart; rather, a keen consciousness of the limitations of our resources acts as that great necessity that compels inventiveness. Where it matters, we are quite good at getting the best bang for the buck. It is disappointing (though not surprising), therefore, that in more peaceful conditions, we tend to throw money at problems. Or at least, there is a perception that this is what we often do.

The Colonel also reinterated the importance of the personal and institutional connections between SAF and TNI:

I think what was really critical is understanding the culture, the sensitivities that one needs to bring to this area of operation, and then to work closely with them. I think one thing that we are very clear is that you do not come in and to dictate to people how things ought to be done. It has to be done on their terms.

If we have ideas, we offer it, we suggest, and we discuss with them why we think this might be useful. But ultimately, this is a sovereign country and they make the final call. And I think we come in clearly that this is how things should be done, with them. And I think having long standing ties helped...

Again, this is not unrelated to the previous point. Coming from a very small country, it is hard not to think in these terms. Or put another way, we are much less tempted to think that somehow, we are indispensible to the Indonesians, or that we are their moral superior for coming to their rescue or anything like that at all. (There is an underlying point with respect to things linked in the previous post, but since it is an underlying point, I shall let it remain that way.)

Finally, the Colonel also touched on the rebuilding stage, which by now has been started:

We [the SAF] are now really setting the conditions for the next stage which is the recovery and eventually to lead on to rebuilding. And that is the stage which I think we are not the experts at that. I think what we provide with our capabilities is to rapidly come in when others can't, to provide the assistance and relief when others cannot. And then to set the conditions that others can quickly come in and then take over that role, where they are far better qualified than we are to take it on further. And I think we are now at that stage of transiting to that stage.

Reflecting on the words of the Colonel, two thoughs came to mind. First, the SAF HATF exemplifed that fabled Singaporean no-nonsense efficiency where it mattered. (I say "fabled" because, often enough, it is more reputation than reality. But it does exist.) There is much to be learned from their example.

Second, it seems to me that the conditions that compels us to be this efficient are the very same conditions that box us in, limit and constrain us. They are the ones that make us--on cloudy days--paranoid about our neighbors, and induce in us a permanent "siege mentality". Probably even the same conditions that make Singapore too fast paced for the many who longed for greener pastures (and have since found them in, for example, Australia).

The irony of it...

Probably no lost love here...

Referring to the UN/NGO personnel who came onboard, a Navy officer with the USS Abraham Lincoln gripes:

My warship had been transformed into a floating hotel for a bunch of trifling do-gooders overnight...

Read the rest here. (Hat Tip: The Diplomad)

Touch Community Services Update

I mentioned Touch Community and YMCA's work in Sri Lanka in this earlier post.

Touch Community Services has been sending medical teams into Sri Lanka and Meulaboh, Indonesia. Currently, a team (the second of its kind) of six medical and logistics personnel respectively is working in Ampara, Sri Lanka (departed Jan 13, to return on Jan 23), and another team of ten relief workers are part of the SAF's efforts to involve NGOs in Meulaboh (departed Jan 14, to return on Jan 24).

You can read their reports (and see pictures) here.

They have also been raising funds and gathering volunteer medical personnel:

TOUCH Community Services International hopes to raise at least $300,000 for the tsunami victims. Also, we still need medical doctors, nurses and doctors to join us in our relief efforts. Your support is important to us and will make the difference! For more information on donation and volunteer opportunities, please visit www.tcs.org.sg

As of Jan 19, they have raised $261,427.37 (about US$160,000) See their call for donations and volunteers here (they are looking for both medical and non-medical volunteers).

On a different but related note: the 'Y' (see their "YMCA Disaster Relief Programme" Page here was also in Sri Lanka. Read more about their call for volunteers and programs to train them on the NVPC website.

Singapore in the Region

- Dec 26: earthquake and tsunami devasted coastal communities across the Indian Ocean.
- Dec 28: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was on the phone with counterparts proposing an ASEAN leaders' meeting.
- Dec 30: PM Lee proposed the meeting publicly.
- Jan 4: Indonesians (host of the summit) prepared a first draft of an ASEAN declaration.
- Jan 6: The summit in Jakarta

If only ASEAN can move as fast as this in normal times (the last time it did was during the SARS crisis). Read more about what current ASEAN secretary-general Ong Keng Yong has to say here (ST Jan 21).

Another interesting highlight on Singapore and ASEAN:

In Singapore, he [Mr. Ong] says wistfully, you push a button and things get done. In Asean, he has to cajole and get a consensus--and then rustle up the resources.

Asean maintains a lean secretariat with 50 officials plus 130 support staff in Jakarta, a paltry number compared to the European Commission's staff of 22,000.

He reports to 10 teams of bosses from 10 countries. Navigating that role requires all the people skills he has. He laughs when he says that he adopts 10 different postures, each appropriate for the country he is dealing with.

The Vietnamese are straightforward and direct, and stoic in overcoming obstacles.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand are big countries with a 'big-country mentality' that a diplomat from Singapore, with its 'small-country mentality', has to adapt to. For example, Singaporean officials expect e-mail messages to be answered within minutes, or hours, or at the most a day.

In large countries with rural bases, the turnaround time can be a week, as directives have to be communicated from the capital, to the province, to rural areas and back.

Singaporeans and Singapore can appear like denizens of a small country always in a hurry, notes Mr Ong.

Only too true. Mr. Ong has more to say in a separate article:

For years, Singapore survived on a strategy of differentiation: 'Come to us, because we are different from our neighbours.' Being a first-world oasis in a Third World region was an explicit economic strategy. It worked. To some extent, Singapore still uses that strategy, when it extracts a 'premium' for its superior efficiency/infrastructure/quality of service.

While Singapore strives to maintain that premium, it's also wise to emphasise its commonality, not difference, from its neighbours. There's a small, but perceptible shift towards emphasising Singapore's role as an embedded part of the region, for better or ill.

...

Last March, Minister George Yeo coined the idea of a Big Singapore. 'There will be Singapore, the island city-state, and a Big Singapore which includes Singaporeans and friends of Singapore in various parts of the world, but especially in Asia. 'Big Singapore is one way to expand Singaporeans' psychic space. At the strategic level, it helps expand Singapore's influence in the region. At the individual level, it gives Singaporeans a wider arena for their activities.

Read the whole thing here (ST Jan 21)

The SAF hands over in Meulaboh (con't)

Continuing from this previous post. Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean spoke in Meulaboh during the ceremony marking the transition to recovery phase:

The words that Colonel Geerhan [the TNI commander in Meulaboh] said to me when I came to Meulaboh just over 2 weeks ago stuck in my mind. He said that when our people first arrived here, it lifted his spirits to know that the people of Meulaboh were not alone.

We feel most happy and privileged that we could make our small contribution here in Meulaboh and in other parts of Aceh. I speak for all the men and women of the SAF who have been part of this humanitarian relief mission.

Singapore is privileged to be able to help, and not just in Meulaboh, Indonesia.

We are happy to see how much has been achieved in Meulaboh. The situation has stablilised. Life is slowing returning to normal. This is testimony to the strong spirit and resilience of the Indonesian people. It is testimony also to the truly remarkable work of the TNI and the Indonesians authorities. You have risen to meet the awesome challenge after this massive disaster...The Indonesian authorities are now transitioning from the relief phase to the recovery and reconstruction phases. Singapore’s assistance will move in tandem with your priorities.

Read the rest here (MINDEF press release, Jan 20). This bit from the Q/A that follows is interesting:

Qn: We heard that Indonesia has set a time limit for foreign troops to leave Indonesia, was that a consideration for Singapore to withdraw its troops?

Minister: No, that was never a factor for Singapore because from the very beginning, we had been discussing very closely with Indonesia what are its needs. And we have coordinated very closely with Indonesia, so that has never been a factor in deciding what we send, when and where. In this case, the completion of the emergency relief phase is also something that we have discussed closely with Indonesia. For example, we will continue to have some of our SAF Chinook helicopters here because this is what our Indonesian friends say are needed. We can continue to extend that to our Indonesian friends who continue to say that this is something which is required. But most of the work now is best done by those with the competence to do so, and these are the NGOs--NGOs from Singapore, from the UN and other civilian relief organisations.

Read the rest here (MINDEF press release, Jan 20)

Hostilities in Aceh

This does not sound too good...

The Indonesian army has continued to wage a brutal counter-insurgency operation in the devastated province of Aceh, despite an informal ceasefire agreed in the wake of the Boxing Day tsunami.

Indonesia's army chief of staff yesterday boasted that his soldiers had killed at least 120 separatist rebels in the past fortnight, contradicting previous government claims that thousands of extra troops sent to Aceh were working exclusively on the relief effort.

Read the whole thing here (Jan 21). I offered some background in a previous post "The Politics of Disaster Relief: Indonesia".

Rebuilding Meulaboh (photos)

Another set of great shots from the MINDEF website. Some highlights:


(Jan 19) Volunteers from the Singapore Red Cross have been working hard for the last three days to help clear debris, clean up the classrooms, build simple furniture, and create pathways to the classrooms. They hope to complete the work before the end of this week, so that the school can re-open next Monday.


Mr Eddie Langton is one of the 13 volunteers working hard to ready the school. Although weather conditions are harsh in Meulaboh, the volunteers say it is important to complete this project because by opening the school, this will allow residents to resume normal life.


A total of seven classrooms are ready to accomodate 30 sets of tables and chairs. According to the principal of the secondary school, Mr Md Ali Akbar, three teachers were killed in the disaster. However, he hopes at least 50 per cent of his secondary school students will return next Monday.


Items salvaged from the disaster include a microscope, musical instruments and school textbooks. Mr Md Ali Akbar says it is important to open the school next Monday because the secondary school's examinations, originally scheduled on 27 Dec 04, have been delayed.

The NGOs are talking over from the SAF in the field hospital as well:


Volunteers from various NGOs treat less serious medical cases in a tent set up outside the Meulaboh hospital. Over the last week, tsunami-related cases have fallen and medical cases have shifted to more normal ones like cough and influenza.

See them all here.

The SAF hands over in Meulaboh (Updated)

From MINDEF press release (Jan 20):

The situation in Meulaboh has now stabilised and the humanitarian relief efforts have moved from the emergency relief phase to rehabilitation and reconstruction. In close consultation with the Indonesian Government and the TNI, Singapore’s relief assistance is making a similar transition.

The SAF is redeploying its personnel and assets back to Singapore except for a detachment of 3 Chinook helicopters. Singapore’s continued contribution to humanitarian assistance efforts in Aceh will now be spearheaded by NGOs such as the Singapore Red Cross and Mercy Relief, relief agencies and volunteer groups.

In the rehabilitation and reconstruction phases, more Singaporeans with specialised skills from NGOs and the private sector are expected to play an important part in sustaining Singapore’s commitment to help restore normalcy in the stricken areas.

Minister Teo and Minister Chamsyah also witnessed the hand-over of a modular building by the commander of the SAF humanitarian assistance support group, Col Tan Chuan-Jin, to the TNI commander in Meulaboh, Col Geerhan Lantara. Constructed by SAF engineers, the new building will serve as an interim headquarters for the TNI to coordinate relief efforts by the NGOs and other relief agencies operating in Meulaboh. The SAF also handed over to the TNI various facilities that the SAF had helped to construct in Meulaboh, such as the helicopter and beach landing sites.

Also reported in Straits Times and Channel News Asia (Jan 20).

UPDATE:

Looks like the Americans are scaling back military relief operations as well. See here (Hat tip: Eaglespeak)

The law of unintended consequences

In Banda Aceh:

Aid dollars are starting to grease the wheels of a local economy derailed by the disaster - but with the threat of some negative consequences, including inflationary prices and a "brain drain" of local professionals opting to serve foreigners...

Read the whole thing here (Christian Science Monitor, Jan 19).

Wi-fi internet cafe in Meulaboh...

Soon--"blogging from Meulaboh...":

An Internet "cafe" in tsunami-stricken Meulaboh? You bet, and it comes equipped with a wireless connection. Thanks to Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF), or Telecoms Without Borders, a France-based group backed by the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), the no-frills Internet cafe is operating in the devastated Indonesian town even while sewerage and fresh water are still not working...

Read the whole thing here (AFP, Jan 19) (Hatip: Indonesia Help).

Opportunity for improving ties with Indonesia and Malaysia

From the Straits Times (Jan 20, 2005), reporting on the Institute of Policy Studies' Jan 19 Singapore Perspectives 2005: People and Partnerships:

A CRITICAL window of opportunity has opened for Singapore to boost its ties with its two immediate neighbours [Malaysia and Indonesia], which it should seize to put relations on a firmer footing, said panellists at a conference yesterday.

Singapore's relationship with Malaysia, which has been rocky in recent years, enjoyed a boost last year... Leaders on both sides of the Causeway expressed the view that bilateral issues 'should not remain unresolved'. This led to substantive exchanges at ministerial and officials' levels...

The part that is especially pertinent to this blog:

Singapore has also accelerated the warming of relations with Indonesia, with its recent tsunami relief efforts there, said Mr Jusuf Wanandi, senior fellow at Jakarta's Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Relations were already on the mend with the installation of new leaders on both sides--Mr Lee and recently-installed Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono...

Singapore is now in a 'marvellous position' to reap more goodwill as it contributes to the rebuilding effort in tsunami-hit parts of Indonesia, said Dr Leonard Sebastian, senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies.

Singapore should adopt a 'focused aid' strategy, such as using its expertise in the form of electricians, contractors for building reconstruction, and communications specialists. In particular, Singapore can help with the rebuilding of school infrastructure in Aceh, where 70 per cent of university lecturers were wiped out by the killer waves.

There's even something for the Pirates:

More importantly, Singapore could reduce the threat of piracy in the Malacca Strait by reaching out to poverty-stricken coastal communities in Aceh which have traditionally depended on piracy as a form of livelihood, Dr Sebastian said.

Read the whole thing.

The same author (William Chong) also has a piece "Little red dot is sometimes misunderstood" (ST, Jan 20):

Negative perceptions of Singapore...run deep in Western minds...

A Freedom House political freedom index listed Singapore as 'partly free', while the New York Times frequently uses the term 'nanny state' to describe Singapore.

On the bright side...post-Sept 11, there has been a new attitude towards the value of good governance--one of Singapore's strengths.

And the massive logistical capabilities Singapore displayed in Indonesia recently illustrates how it had put principles of good governance in the area of defence.

By launching a larger-scale effort to share such principles with its neighbours, Singapore would enhance its national interests in the region and change perceptions about the country...

As Singapore does this, the world would become 'less mystified' about its role in the global arena, he added.

Hopefully...not that there's nothing to improve at home.

On a different but related note: the Diplomad seems to think that we are essentially western:

If you're accused of even thinking that cultures are unequal, then you are branded as a racist, and at State you can have your career ruined. But by any objective measure of success, western civilization is superior. This is actually not racist, since Japan, Singapore, and South Korea have internalized the best of the west, and essentially joined it. ("Our Favorite Ten Lies", Jan 19)

Some technical changes

Having noticed that just about all incoming hits are from computers with screen resolutions of at least 800x600, I've adjusted the layout of the blog accordingly, to make full use of the space. Have also subcontracted blogrolling to...Blogrolling, so as to cut down on my having to tamper with the template file. If you have any suggestions, please email me.

World Vision to set up regional coordination centre in Singapore for tsunami relief efforts

The possiblity of the move was reported in Business Times (Jan 14):

Dean Hirsch, president of World Vision, said the non-governmental organisation (NGO) is considering locating its Asia tsunami relief team operations in Singapore. They currently operate from a control centre in Manila...

Noting that Singapore's geographical location and its strong logistics support facilities make the island an excellent choice for a coordination centre, Mr Hirsch said the NGO will come to a decision in the next few days.

The move is now confirmed (see Lianhe Zaobao (Jan 18), in Chinese)

The Zaobao article also has Hirsch say that World Vision's relief project will take three to five years and come in three stages: (1) emergency relief; (2) transition (e.g., temporary shelters for displaced persons); (3) assist the victims to return to normalcy. The organisation estimates that it will need some US$200 million , of which they already have two thirds. As the BT article puts it: This is the Christian agency's largest regional project yet.

* * * * *

From the World Vision Singapore website:

World Vision International is a Christian relief and development organisation working for the well being of all people, especially children. Through emergency relief, education, health care, economic development and promotion of justice, World Vision helps communities help themselves.

Established in 1950 to care for orphans in Asia, World Vision has grown to embrace the larger issues of community development and advocacy for the poor in its mission to help children and their families build sustainable futures.

Working on six continents, World Vision is one of the largest Christian relief and development organisations in the world.

The heart of World Vision's work is in helping communities build stronger and healthier relationships. The absence of such relationships impoverishes communities.

World Vision focuses on children because they are the best indicator of a community's social health. When children are fed, sheltered, schooled, protected, valued, and loved a community thrives.

Also found a list of "Top 10 myths of disaster relief" on their site--very informative. My favorite is this one:

9. Insurance and governments can cover losses--The vast majority of the world's population has never heard of an insurance policy, let alone are able to purchase one...

Though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea

The undersea earthquake that caused a tsunami in the Indian Ocean last month also permanently changed landscapes up to 930 miles away from the epicenter off the coast of Indonesia, Dutch researchers said Wednesday...

They estimated that on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, land shifted by more than three feet. The Thai island of Phuket, 460 miles away, moved 3.9 inches, while Singapore moved 0.8 inches.

Read the whole thing here.

Summation

Some figures from the speech by Adm(ret) Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence, in Parliament:

For the SAF, this was the largest operational deployment we have ever undertaken. More than 1,200 SAF personnel were deployed--to Phuket in Thailand, and to 3 locations in Indonesia: Medan, Banda Aceh and Meulaboh. RSAF aircraft also flew supply and support missions between Jakarta, Singapore and Aceh, and around the Indian Ocean rim to Phuket, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Mauritius...

Over the last 3 weeks, SAF Chinook and Super Puma helicopters, and C-130 and F-50 aircraft flew some 250 missions carrying more than 1,000,000 pounds of cargo and 4000 people. They carried water and food to isolated survivors and transported a mobile control tower to Banda Aceh. Our medical teams treated 4000 people in Banda Aceh and Meulaboh...

Adm Teo also mentioned the plans for the immediate future:

The SAF humanitarian assistance support group which was designed to assist in the first phase, the emergency relief phase, is completing its mission after some three weeks in Indonesia...They will be redeployed in the coming days back to Singapore.

At the request of Indonesia, Singapore will continue to provide a substantial deployment of 3 Chinook helicopters to support the critical needs of the Indonesian authorities and the TNI in this recovery phase. The helicopters will remain deployed in Aceh for the next two to three weeks, after which we will review the need together with our Indonesian counterparts.

The bulk of Singapore’s assistance will now be undertaken by our civilian volunteer groups, such as the Singapore Red Cross and Mercy Relief. Last Friday, 60 volunteers sailed with our third helicopter landing ship RSS Endeavour and arrived at Meulaboh on Sunday...

The Red Cross and Mercy Relief will be taking over the medical services that were being provided by the SAF medical teams in Meulaboh and Banda Aceh...

Singapore is also committed to helping in the reconstruction efforts in Aceh, and in other countries devastated by the tsunamis...

Read the whole thing here.

Togopart online bike auction to help tsunami victims

A reader emailed to request that I post this announcement:

We're holding an online auction in our efforts to help the Tsunami Victims. The first phase of the project has been completed successfully and we've received many generous donations of parts and high end bikes. Now for the difficult part. We need bidders!

The auction will be online for 5 days for bidding. When the parts has been auctioned off, we will donate this total sum to the Red Cross Society. Please note that 100% of the money fetched from the sale/auction of bike parts donated will to the Red Cross Society.

If you're into cycling, then please visit here and bid generously. Otherwise, please let your biking friends know about this. Oh and yes, we have those LiveStrong bands on auction too!

Best regards,
Ivan Lian
togoparts.com

Here's wishing them all the best for the auction.

The rebuilding of Aceh, and my modest proposal

Events are moving along for the rebuilding of Aceh:

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has announced he is setting up a special coordinating body to oversee and supervise the rebuilding of Aceh. (CNA, Jan 18)

Needless to say, it's going to cost some...

[Vice-President Jusuf Kalla:] "The Indonesian government will set aside US$1 billion for Aceh's development. We hope to get US$2 billion to US$3 billion from foreign donors. We will allow local contractors to handle the smaller projects in Aceh. We need to create jobs for the people. But for big projects, like power and electricity and seaports, we will give it to big foreign investors. (ST, Jan 19)

...and involve major construction plus planning for the possibility that similar disasters may strike again:

He [Jusuf Kalla] told The Straits Times in an interview that Indonesian officials were now drawing up a blueprint for Aceh, where the capital Banda Aceh and other coastal towns would be moved inland by 2km to 3km.

'The big challenge is to build a new capital. This involves replanning. In fact, all the big cities need replanning - Meulaboh, Calang. All these are coastal towns. If we rebuild, we have to take into account the possibility that the tsunami could strike again in 20 years or 50 years.'

And a role for Singapore is already mentioned:

But Mr Jusuf noted that Jakarta would also need to tap Singapore's expertise in town planning. 'Singapore is an island state. We need to draw on their experience in building coastal towns.' (ST Jan, 19)

I say we seize the opportunity and cement this friendship. In fact, something quite specific has already been proposed:

SINGAPORE has been invited 'to leave a meaningful legacy' in tsunami-hit Aceh by building a hospital to replace one of those badly damaged during the disaster. Alternatively, it could help build some schools, said the Governor of North Sumatra, Mr Rizal Nurdin, who added that it was a 'personal' invitation. 'You could have a picture of a lion outside the building to remind Acehnese of the lasting contributions made by Singaporeans during the dark spot in Aceh history,' he said. It will not only be useful but also meaningful.' ... 'It will carry Singapore's name but the management will be in the hands of the Indonesian government or others who might be interested,' he added.(ST Jan 19)

My modest proposal (not that I am under the illusion that the powers that be are reading this blog): go for the hospital idea, and have arrangements in place so that medical and other personnel from Singapore can do volunteer work there all year round. For example, make it one of the places where trainee teachers can do the required community work (see this earlier report).

And while we are on the subject of volunteers, looks like they are already taking over from the SAF in Meulaboh:

Increasingly, the work on the ground [in Meulaboh] is being undertaken by volunteers from the Singapore Red Cross and other aid groups from Singapore and elsewhere.

Yesterday, Red Cross volunteers, who brought along two trucks--which they will leave behind--made the 10km drive out of Meulaboh to Preumbeu, one of several camps set up for people whose homes were destroyed in the Dec 26 tragedy. About 2,000 people are now living in 50 tents covering an area the size of a soccer field.

As the Red Cross trucks pulled up, the residents queued for food packages containing bottled water and items such as biscuits. Mr Marie Muhamad, chairman of the Palang Merah Indonesia (Indonesian Red Cross), officiated at a ceremony to receive the aid from Associate Professor Lim Meng Kin, council member of the Singapore Red Cross.

Speaking in Bahasa Indonesia, Mr Marie Muhamad said: 'We asked for the trucks and have also received 50,000 pre-packed packets of food from the Singapore Red Cross. 'The most important thing now is to make sure that the food they sent reaches the villagers.'

Prof Lim pledged that more supplies are on the way. He said: 'This is from the people of Singapore, for the people of Indonesia. Our hearts go out to all of you. Words cannot express adequately how we all feel, so this is but a small token.' (ST, Jan 19)

Amen.

The US Navy's Logistics Command in Singapore

Singapore Logistics Commands Keep Humanitarian Relief Flowing
(Release Date: 1/17/2005 12:00:00 PM)
Lt. Chuck Bell, Commander, Task Force 73 Public Affairs

SINGAPORE (NNS) -- Millions of pounds of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) supplies are being processed here, in what has become the key logistics staging point in support of Operation Unified Assistance...

During the first two weeks of the operation, approximately 2 million pounds of cargo were processed here.

Read the whole thing.

Also found this picture on the US Navy's website...just begging for a caption.


Indonesian Police unload massive amounts of cargo, including bags of rice, fresh eggs, and clothing, from a Singaporean C-130 Hercules aircraft in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. Photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Gabriel Piper (Jan 5, 2005)

The Colonel's advice: "Manage expectations"

That's the advice given by Colonel Tan Chuan Jin (commander, SAF Humanitarian Assistance Support Group) to the volunteers who just came to Meulaboh aboard the RSS Persistence. He was referring to the work ahead. It's nice to read that the group includes both 'native' Singaporeans (whatever that means), an Irish permanant resident and even a Canadian on holiday in Singapore.

Their first reaction upon arriving, however, was simple shock...

* * * * *

Straits Times (Jan 18, 2005)
Stunned, but volunteers prepare to do their bit
Carl Skadian:

MEULABOH--ALTHOUGH they had seen plenty of images in newspapers and on television, members of a 57-strong volunteer group that arrived in Meulaboh on aboard the RSS Endeavour on Sunday evening were stunned at what they saw.

Many in the mostly male group, which comprises YMCA and Mercy Relief members plus 15 individuals who signed up on their own, expressed disbelief when they saw the devastation first-hand. Ms Daphne Siow, a property executive in her 20s and one of the few women who came ashore, simply said she was 'shocked'.

The volunteers have been divided into three groups to provide specific help for the Indonesian victims. One group will help persons displaced by the disaster, providing basic needs such as food and shelter. Another will focus its efforts on getting a school up and running by next Monday, while the third will work at a warehouse to sort, pack and distribute aid.

A few Indonesians turned up at the beach to watch as the volunteers came ashore. They were soon expressing their gratitude to the volunteers and posing for photographs with them.

The SAF is winding down its operations here and is expected to leave soon.

Slowly, some normality is beginning to return to the town. An army officer said he saw a fisherman heading out to sea in the morning, something he had not seen since he arrived early this month.

Meanwhile, the volunteers, who expect to stay for about five days, are eager to help restore as much normality as possible. Some ran ashore, organised themselves into groups and before long were heading out of the landing area and climbing into the SAF vehicles that would transport them to their places of work. All were aware of the enormity of the task facing them, but were managing to maintain a sense of perspective.

Said Irish engineer and Singapore permanent resident Eddie Langton: 'If I move one box today that'll help someone, I would have accomplished something.' Mr Langton, 49, said he felt 'privileged to represent Singapore and hopes to do it proud'.

The volunteers who do not belong to any particular organisation were equally eager to help. Mr Michael Lee, a financial adviser, said he had been 'restless and itching to do something to help the victims' since getting news of the disaster on Boxing Day, so he called the National Volunteer Centre and offered his services. Mr Kamaruden Hamid, 32, a diver, said he had been struck by the plight of the children and resolved to do something to help them.

Another volunteer, Canadian Merrill O'Donnell, who was in Singapore on holiday visiting his wife's family, said he had heard news of the tsunami while at home in Vancouver and decided right then that he would do something while here.

Before the volunteers set off, they had been given a pep talk and some advice from Colonel Tan Chuan Jin, commander of the SAF's Humanitarian Assistance Support Group. Perhaps aptly, considering the work ahead, his advice was: 'Manage expectations.'

* * * * *

Photos from the MINDEF website:


Volunteers from the Singapore Red Cross arriving on the beaches
of Meulaboh on 17 Jan.


One of the pick up truck that was presented to the Indonesian Red
Cross, is transferred from RSS Endeavour to Meulaboh with a Fast Craft Utility (FCU).


The volunteers also brought supplies consisting food, water, tents and generators to help in the reconstruction efforts.

Singapore Mends ties with aid in Indonesia

Originally published in the New York Times and International Herald Tribune (Jan 14, 2005). Highlights:

[A]fter delivering relief with a scale and spontaneity that has impressed even Indonesians, Singapore's military is using those ties to build bridges between Indonesian forces and other foreign aid groups as they arrive, including the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

[Singapore's] operation also promises to pay dividends in its often turbulent diplomatic relationship with Indonesia... "It will definitely improve the relationship," said Jusuf Wanandi, a columnist and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. Singapore's reputation as a purely economic animal has deepened the mistrust many Indonesian feel toward Singapore, he said. "But now they have shown their willingness to show solidarity and empathy, and that is against the grain of what was before the stereotype."

The article, by Wayne Arnold (NYT, IHT), is still not available online (as far as I can tell). It was briefly mentioned in this article in Lianhe Zaobao, which prompted me to have my dad (who works for Zaobao) help locate it. It makes a nice follow-up of points I made in earlier posts: here, here and here.

UPDATE: A mention of SAF personnel interpreting for US military medical personnel here.

The whole article is reproduced below:

* * * * *

Singapore mends ties with aid in Indonesia
By Wayne Arnold
International Herald Tribune (Jan 14, 2005)
New York Times (Jan 14, 2005)

MEULABOH, Indonesia: Lam Chee Yong, a major in the Singaporean Army, strolled across the muddy schoolyard that his troops have turned into a landing zone for the heavy-lifting Chinook helicopters flying relief supplies into this devastated city and explained in fluent Indonesian to a local marine how they would use the surrounding rubble to firm up the soggy ground beneath them.

Lam and the Singaporeans were the first to land aid in Meulaboh, where fishing boats still rest in city streets and each day the wreckage still yields up grisly corpses.

But Lam was no stranger here. Waiting for him in Meulaboh was one of his classmates from an officer-training college near Jakarta he attended last year, an Indonesian major who Lam had been told was still among the missing.

"When we landed and I saw him, I was really happy," said Lam, who leads engineering efforts in what has become the largest military operation his nation has ever mounted. As fate would have it, his classmate also happens to be in charge of the Indonesian Army's operations in Meulaboh. "And became I know them and they know me, I think that really helps," he said.

Contacts like Lam's, say relief officials and other military officers, have helped make Singapore's contribution to the aid effort in Aceh Province an early success story. Unlike the United States, which curtailed links with Indonesia's military in response to allegations of human rights abuses, tiny Singapore maintained contact with the forces of its sprawling southern neighbor, even sending officers like Lam to study in Indonesia.

Now, after delivering relief with a scale and spontaneity that has impressed even Indonesians, Singapore's military is using those ties to build bridges between Indonesian forces and other foreign aid groups as they arrive, including the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

"They're doing a great job," said Bo Asplund, the United Nations Development Program's resident coordinator in Jakarta, who visited Meulaboh this month. "They're sensitive and professional and very attuned to the way the population is affected by the situation."

Singapore has pledged more than $13 million in tsunami relief. Its operation also promises to pay dividends in its often turbulent diplomatic relationship with Indonesia. "It will definitely improve the relationship," said Jusuf Wanandi, a columnist and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. Singapore's reputation as a purely economic animal has deepened the mistrust many Indonesian feel toward Singapore, he said. "But now they have shown their willingness to show solidarity and empathy, and that is against the grain of what was before the stereotype."

So close that they can see each other's shores on a clear day, Singaporeans and Indonesians are bound by a centuries-old trading relationship as lopsided as it is vital. On one side is Indonesia, rich in resources and home to 220 million people, most Muslim and poor. On the other industrialized Singapore, a trading entrepôt through which much of Indonesia's exports pour, with only four million residents, most of them ethnic Chinese and comparatively rich.

Adding to the antagonism is the fact that Singapore serves as a sanctuary to Indonesia's wealthy ethnic Chinese minority, and when times get tough in Indonesia, they and their money find refuge in Singapore.

Singapore's response to the tsunami has provided an inadvertent balm.

Even as the U.S. carrier Abraham Lincoln arrived off the coast of Banda Aceh to ferry supplies along the coast by helicopter, Singapore's officials decided that they should focus their efforts closer to their efforts closer to the epicenter of the quake that set off the tsunami.

"Banda Aceh was getting lots of attention but Meulaboh was cut off," said Colonel Tan Chuan Jin, commander of Singapore's humanitarian assistance support group, aboard one of Singapore's two helicopter landing ships that arrived at Meulaboh on Jan. 1'.

There is no sign of resentment among Meulaboh's desperate population about the fact that their aid comes from ethnic Chinese.

"Singapore is great," said Zulkifli, a 56-year-old survivor of the tsunami. He said he had taken his sister to the field hospital that Singapore had-set up in Meulaboh so she could get treatment for cut. "She got well in three days," he said. "If she had taken medicine from an Indonesian doctor she'd still be sick."

An Open Letter to Singapore from Chairman, Singapore Red Cross

The "Tidal Waves Asia Fund" will be closing it's collection in about a week's time. To date, it has collected an unprecedented S$50,000,000 (about US$30,600,000, or US$7.1 per capita), not including the Government's S$1,000,000.

From the "Open Letter to Singapore from Lt Gen Winston Choo, Retd., Chairman, Singapore Red Cross" (Jan 17, 2005):

Dear Fellow Singaporeans,

On behalf of the Singapore Red Cross, I write to thank each and everyone in Singapore for your most generous support and contribution towards the "Tidal Waves Fund".

...

I am very grateful to the many Singaporeans and our friends who have responded to the appeal with such overwhelming outpouring of contributions and support. I would like to thank the various media for the tremendous support in publicising this appeal.

In the last 3 weeks, I am very touched by the spontaneous flow of people coming to the Red Cross House to make their contributions. There were people from all walks of life; from children with their piggy banks, housewives with their grocery contributions, the elderly with their savings, taxi drivers to big multinational corporations and even the expatriate communities, offering their precious time and money to help the Singapore Red Cross. Our initial modest target of S$1 million was met within 2 days of the appeal.

I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise the efforts of all volunteers who have come forward to help us at the Red Cross House. To all volunteers of the Singapore Red Cross and members of the public, thank you for being here with us, working tirelessly throughout the past weeks at the Red Cross House. From counting money, manning the hotlines and tending to queries from the public, your support and assistance has helped us to manage the overwhelming response...

Read the whole thing.

AFP on Singapore in Meulaboh

Interesting bits:

"Singapore made use of the long-range assets that they have. It shows that clearly, Singapore can play a very important role in humanitarian relief," said Andrew Tan, a security analyst at the Singapore-based Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies.

"In the future, the Singapore Armed Forces will be called upon for these operations around the region. It's an important humanitarian and diplomatic role which will enhance the goodwill that the region has towards Singapore," he told AFP.

Read the whole thing here (AFP Jan 16).

The importance of being earnest

The article "Bahasa helps SAF build goodwill" in today's ST (Goh Chin Lian, Jan 18, 2005) mentions a few interesting points. Some we already know, others, suspected but only now confirmed:

To begin, the ability of a cadre of SAF soldiers to speak Bahasa has proven extremely useful to the SAF's relief mission in Indonesia. For one, it allows our soldiers to communicate effectively and directly with the TNI and the Indonesians in need. And, it also allows them to play a middleman role between the Indonesians and relief workers from other foreign militaries and aid agencies. In a way, they are fulfilling that middle-man role I was envisioning for the SAF in this earlier post.

MEULABOH-IN SINGAPORE, Lieutenant Raihan Husainni is a guards officer in charge of about 80 soldiers. But in Meulaboh, he is one of nine Malay-speaking liaison officers providing the vital link between the Singapore Armed Forces and Indonesians on the ground...

He attends daily meetings between the Indonesian and foreign doctors, stepping in when either side needs clarification. He helps Singapore doctors speak to patients and their relatives, and calms those who are apprehensive about being treated for festering wounds and fractures.

Curious local people, soldiers included, approach him to ask about the Singaporeans who have come with trucks, tents and medical supplies. What is this equipment? How much do your soldiers earn? How come your soldiers aren't carrying any weapons?

He explains the hardware, handles the money question deftly, and to Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) soldiers who ask about weapons, he says the SAF is there only to help and 'anyway, you are here to take care of us'.

The liaison officers have been working behind the scenes to smooth the way for the troops to come in, do their job and, now, get ready to leave.

As mentioned in this earlier post, the close institutional and personal connections between the SAF and TNI was crucial, not least because it allows the SAF to establish its credential as a friend here to help:

Major Lam Chee Yuong, a Singapore engineer officer...knew Indonesian operations officer Major Erwin Rustiawan, as they had taken the same course last year at the Indonesian Command and Staff College. The Indonesian had lost his daughter in the disaster, but made valuable introductions. Knowing Bahasa Indonesia and having had previous interactions with the TNI helped the liaison officers break the ice.

Among them are officers, warrant officers and sergeants who have taken part in the annual Safkar- Indopura exercises, looked after visiting TNI lieutenant-colonels in Singapore and gone on attachments with the TNI.

[Liaison officer] Maj Rosdi said: 'We talk about things in common: people we know, exercises we took part in. 'We are cautious not to offend, not to appear high-handed or arrogant. Not many understand that the TNI commanders and soldiers are also direct victims of the disaster, having lost their loved ones as well as their belongings.'

It is also heartening to read about the hospitality the SAF enjoyed from the locals:

The Singapore officers recall several gestures of kindness by the Indonesians, from the start. When relief workers and the SAF's advance party arrived with full packs on their backs, ready to camp out, the TNI soldiers moved out to tents and let the visitors have their barracks.First Sergeant Soh Jiann Sheng, 26, a communications specialist, was busy setting up some equipment when TNI soldiers offered him a hot meal of instant noodles and sardines.

At the end of the day, all this is no mere matter of tactic, but a fundamental recognition that the SAF is here at the TNI's leave:

For a good working relationship with the numerous foreigners who have descended on Meulaboh, the TNI commanders adhere to a simple rule: the Indonesians are in charge. Major Riswanto, a TNI territorial officer at the camp, said: 'There must be one command and one rule. We work for the same cause in an orderly manner. No activities on their own.'

This is played out every day at 8pm, when the top Indonesian commander here, Colonel Geerhan Lantara, chairs a coordination meeting for relief work. For two hours, in a room packed with officers and some aid agency representatives, local officials report progress made and detail pressing needs. The Colonel sets deadlines for some, tells others to work faster and issues orders.

The SAF liaison officers attend without fail, and update their commanders. Maj Rosdi believes that being present has helped the Singaporeans keep the Colonel's trust, along with delivering on promises and meeting the occasional request.

One time, the Indonesians needed aircraft fuel, which the navy ship RSS Persistence had, but transferring it to oil drums could be risky. The Colonel told them: 'I know it's risky for you. If it's too risky, don't do it.' The SAF supplied 20 oil drums in all.

That there is a friendship dividend to speak of is clear from the sequel:

In a sign of trust, the SAF has been given much freedom to deploy troops for relief work in and around Meulaboh town. Unlike other foreign militaries, Maj Rosdi pointed out, there is no requirement for TNI soldiers to follow SAF troops around.

The SAF has also helped the TNI coordinate the relief efforts of more than 30 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), starting a daily meeting and compiling a list of all the groups and what each does...

Given the shortage of Indonesian soldiers who speak English, the NGOs inevitably turn to the SAF officers.

But, as is well known by now, the SAF will be moving most of its personnel out soon. This means that the UN and other aid groups will deal directly with the TNI. The question is whether they will be able to do as well:

Mr Charlie Higgins, the UN liaison officer in Meulaboh, said the SAF was doing 'a great job' supporting the TNI and civilian authorities, providing advice at every level and filling a vital gap in logistics.

'Singapore has integrated its officers very closely with the TNI. They are acting as internal consultants, in business terms,' he said.

Maybe there will still be scope for Singaporeans to do something, in bridging the UN and other aid agencies, and the Indonesians.

* * * * *

Since we are talking about hospitality, it is nice to read that some 500 live sheep are on their way to Aceh now: a gift from Singapore Muslims to tsunami victims there for Hari Raya Haji on Friday. Read the whole thing here (ST Jan 17) (See also this previous post)

Implications for the teaching of NE, from a friend in the teaching profession

Received this email from a friend in the teaching profession (in Singapore):

I have been wondering as an educator if it is time for us to re-evaluate--not NE per se, but reviewing the current six NE messages that are used as a guide for National Education activities. I think regional engagement and global mindedness need to be incorporated into the NE messages in some way. If you read our NE messages, they still point somewhat towards a sort of siege mentality, and these messages are.. what? 6 or 7 years old? [Ed: If memory serves, NE was started in '99]

In a different email from the same friend:

When NE was introduced...I for one felt it was important because for the first time, because of it, I felt people began to be more conscious of Singapore's ability to survive and do well, because the message that the SAF was not a peanut in the region was sent out clearly, and it was well supported by sound facts. Public perception before that tended to be: Singapore is so small, "kenna attack only liao already la..." sort of thing.

The key mindset at the time was to give people a sense of belief in our ability to safeguard our country, and to instill confidence in our survivability at a time when the highs of double-digit economic growth had taken quite a battering; and of course, a new generation of school going kids could not relate to our post-colonial nation building experience, and may not even have had living relatives who experienced the Occupation.

However, the world has moved on, and since Sep 11, Singapore has more openly aligned itself with U.S. interests because of compatibility of national interests, and the wisdom/prudence in openly doing so. In the light of our overall well-being, and our evident ability not just in handling the bird-flu and SARS crises, but in leading the region in doing so, I think it's time for Singapore to review the six NE messages which emphasises confidence-building in our country so we will be prepared to fight for its survival.

I think the time has come now not merely to see ourselves as being able to survive in a potentially hostile neighbourhood (baggage from the immediate post-colonial developments) but to actively engage our neighbours. To this end, (as callous as it sounds, and I certainly don't mean this in a heartless way, but the reality is the reality) the Tsunami incident provides an opportunity for engagement which we have taken.

What I'm trying to say is, we need to update National Education to see ourselves not as needing to defend what we have in a potentially hostile neighbourhood, but to see ourselves as having the means, and therefore, bearing the responsibility to participate and engage in regional issues. The government has been doing this, ASEAN, development triangles, etc, etc... but we should be teaching our students to have a global consciousness. NE should reflect that is what I'm saying.

Anyway, the six NE messages as it stands now are:

1. Singapore is our homeland. This is where we belong. We want to keep our heritage and our way of life.

2. We must preserve racial and religious harmony. Though many races, religions, languages and cultures, we pursue one destiny.

3. We must uphold meritocracy and prevent corruption. This provides opportunity for all according to their ability and effort.

4. No one owes Singapore a living. We must find our own way to survive and prosper.

5. We must ourselves defend Singapore. No one else is responsible for our security and well-being.

6. We have confidence in our future. United, determined, and well-prepared, we shall build a bright future for ourselves.

More photos from Meulaboh

From the MINDEF Website:


Like children everywhere, these kids of Meulaboh also enjoy checking out their pictures taken with a digital camera by a SAF soldier.


Stores have opened and residents are beginning to buy fresh vegetables at this grocery stall.


Cyclists vie for road space with large trucks carrying supplies along the roads of Meulaboh.


Combat engineers brave the sun and sea state to secure and improve the second sea landing point at Meulaboh.


The sea landing site is sturdy for use either by soldiers or by vehicles. Here, soldiers load up onto the Fast Craft Utility to prepare to head back to RSS Endurance.

The kind of stuff that melts the soldier's heart

An appreciation poster for SAF by Teck Ghee Primary School. Click on the picture to enlarge:

Indonesia will let Asean forces 'remain indefinitely'

ASEAN: Association of South East Asian Nations = Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and VietNam.

KUALA LUMPUR--Indonesia will allow troops from neighbouring Southeast Asian countries to remain in Aceh province for as long as necessary to assist tsunami relief efforts, the Malaysian government said on Monday.

Senior Indonesian military officials made the assurance to army chiefs from the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations who are holding an annual informal meeting in Kuala Lumpur, said Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

'For friendly Asean countries, there is no deadline for their involvement in humanitarian work in Aceh,' Mr Najib told a news conference. 'The important thing is that there is no such imposition as to a specific timetable for our withdrawal from Aceh.'

Read the whole thing here (ST Jan 17)

The Response of the Public Dec 27-31, 2004

I've always wanted to do a post on that unbelievable outpouring of compassion from the Singapore public that manifested itself as soon as the magnitude of the tsunami disaster became know, and as soon as charitable organizations and private individuals began calling for collections.

When the events of Dec 26 occurred, my wife and I were spending Christmas with friends in San Francisco. I vividly remember watching Channel-i news clips on Straits Times interactive (on my ibook, courtesy of my friend's home wi-fi network)--the long lines at Red Cross House, old ladies and young boys coming with their savings, the stacks of material collected in Little India, the cab drivers and their collection tins. And I remembered thinking to myself: is this the Singapore I know?

My thought was not that Singaporeans are suddenly more generous than the rest of the world--hardly. But what happened does not jive easily with certain stereotypical expectations one tends to have about our quirky society: the hardnosed realism, the kiasuism, the less than generous attitude toward the unfortunate, the siege mentality; though I would be dishonest if I say that I have not met my share of generous and kind behavior among Singaporeans from all walks of life.

I suspect that the tremendous outpouring of generosity from the public is no ephemeral thing. Rather, it springs from something deep in our national psyche, even while it stands in tension with a certain image we have created of ourselves--an image that we both abhor and yet behold with secret pride.

But I'll leave these ramblings for another day. The following is made possible by thanks to the efforts of a denizen who frequents www.sgforums.com, call-sign "Moxie". He answered my call for help with a stack of late Dec ST articles he saved.

From that material (plus www.Channelnewsasia.com's archive), I've collated these highlights. They are all about the response of the public--the ordinary man (and woman) on the street, and the private corporations--in those last days of December 2004. If you have been following the local news, they should not be totally unfamiliar, but I just thought it would be nice to have them together in one place.

* * * * *

As earlier detailed in this post, the Singapore Red Cross Society put out their appeal to the public one day after the disaster, with the initial target of 1 million Singapore Dollars. Little did they, or anyone else for that matter, expect that in four days, more than 7 million will be collected.

Three and a half weeks have past (Jan 17) and the total now stands has reached S$48,000,000 (approx. US$29.2 million, or US$6.8 per capita). As the number continues to increase--mostly by continued corporate giving, we run the danger of forgetting how humbly it all began, with the first individual donors dropping in their $50s and $20s at Red Cross House:

One woman even turned up at 7am--two hours before doors opened. Elderly women clutching handbags and umbrellas unfolded $50 notes from their purses, while cabbies in windbreakers took out wads of notes tied in rubber bands. Children also turned in plastic bags of coins and Christmas hongbaos, or red packets. During lunch break, office workers from as far as Ang Mo Kio came with envelopes of cash collected from colleagues. (ST Dec 29)

Sales personnel Lily Tan, 36, who was there with her husband, daughter and mother-in-law, said pictures and videos of dead babies brought her to tears and reminded her of her daughter Zoe Teo, who just turned one on Christmas Day. She said, "We were so happy on Christmas Day itself, it being my daughter's birthday and all. The next day, this disaster happened." (ST Dec 29)

Medical researcher Jay, 28, said: "During Christmas, we spent so much on ourselves, now it's time to help others." Cabbie Patricia Lee, 48, turned up to give $200, as well as contributions from the staff at the beauty salon she visited in the morning. "Regardless of race, we should all help when there is a disaster," she said in Mandarin. By the time the place closed at 8pm, at least 300 people had dropped in. (ST Dec 29)

Housekeeper Tan Geok Huay, 51, whose son survived the killer waves in Thailand, broke down while waiting in line at Red Cross House to donate to those hit by the disaster. "Even though my son called home on Monday to say he's safe, I still feel extremely sad because so many died," said the mother of four. She was among nearly 3,000 people who showed up yesterday with their cheques, piggy banks and offers of help….Madam Tan, whose 27-year-old son went to Krabi for rock climbing, wanted to take the donation tin to work as it's "bonus time" and people are generous, but was told she couldn't. So she put in her donation at Penang Lane. (ST Dec 30)

Other donors also expressed shock and grief at the tragedy and said they wanted to help. Said Helen Tay, 55: "I feel so helpless just sitting at home watching the news. So I have decided to come here to donate money and volunteer my services." (ST Dec 30)

Donors ranging from octogenarians to entire families filed in through the day, giving amounts which ranged from $2 to $50,000. (ST Dec 30)

DBS Bank customers have also contributed almost $800,000 in donations in less than two days, primarily through the Internet. "We are very pleasantly surprised by the compassion and generosity of Singaporeans," said its spokesman, Ms Eunice Woo. The bank began accepting donations at 5pm on Tuesday. A tally on Wednesday night revealed people had given $647,000 through the Net and $148,000 via its network of 780 ATMs here. This sum does not include donations collected yesterday. "The biggest donors were two individuals, who gave $10,000 each," Ms Woo said. However, she could not give more details about them. (ST Dec 31)

Some individuals and families did more than donate. They did the almost "subversive" thing in Singapore--take matters into their own hands and put out their own calls:

Residents of Greenridge Crescent received mailers yesterday evening appealing for medicine, dried or canned food, tents, blankets and sleeping bags. Posting the mailers door-to-door to some 70 households were businessman Loh Sien Chi and his two children--John, 15, and Michelle, 17, who typed out the mailer. "I've asked every contact on my database to donate items requested by the embassy," said Mr Loh, who has tied up with Yusen Logistics to provide warehouse space and to pick up donated items today. (ST Dec 29)

The other half of that initial collection was donated by the corporate Singapore. In many of these instances, it's not just a bunch of directors deciding to write a cheque, but some degree of volunteer effort is involved on the part of the staff and management:

Leading the donors for victims of Sunday's undersea earthquake and tidal waves are the United Overseas Bank (UOB) Singapore and UOB Group CEO Wee Cho Yaw, who pitched in, with a total of $200,000. DBS Bank has pledged $100,000 and the Singapore Island Country Club $50,000. (ST Dec 29)

UOB's subsidiaries in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are contributing $200,000 to the relief efforts in their respective countries. DBS Bank's Indonesian subsidiary will give $100,000 to help relief work there. Back home, SingTel is planning to donate $200,000... And Sentosa will be holding a vigil this Sunday to raise funds. Smart Automobile's 300 taxis have taken to the streets with donation tins in aid of the Red Cross relief efforts. They hope to collect $50,000 within a week. (ST Dec 29)

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) yesterday launched a public appeal for funds and relief supplies to help victims of Sunday's devastating tsunami. To spearhead its efforts, the mainboard-listed company will donate $200,000 to the Singapore Red Cross Society and use its headquarters as a collection point for donations. [It will collect some S$8 million by Jan 8] (ST Dec 30)

Meanwhile, a number of corporations gave generously to the Singapore Red Cross yesterday, with Singapore Airlines Group pledging $300,000. Hong Leong Foundation donated $200,000. OCBC Bank and its subsidiary Great Eastern Holdings will donate $250,000. Haw Par will give $100,000 and Canon Singapore $60,000. Canon has also set aside a further $49,500 (US$30,000) for five key distributors in Indonesia, the Maldives and Sri Lanka to give to organizations of their choice, to help relief efforts in those countries. Petrol giant Shell will donate five cents for every litre of fuel sold at its stations island-wide from tomorrow to Jan 6, and expects to raise more than $400,000 this way. (ST Dec 30)

MediaCorp, with its extensive TV, radio and print network, is playing an active role in encouraging donations for the tsunami victims. Its regional news channel, Channel NewsAsia International, will carry extensive trailers on its regional feed to encourage viewers in Asia to donate to the Red Cross. MediaCorp has also launched efforts to rally Singaporeans to donate, in an initiative costing the company some $2m in airtime and advertisement space. And that's not all. Its staff are also doing their bit to raise funds for the victims. Moved by the terrible tragedy that has devastated the lives of millions, MediaCorp staff have been putting cash donations into a box at the MediaCorp reception. (CNA Dec 31)

I've always been ambivalent about the direct collection of relief supplies (as opposed to money). The material takes resources to ship and are not always most appropriate on the receiving end. But still, one cannot fight with the generosity of the public, and in some specific instances (medical supplies and water purification tablets for example), even its critical usefulness.

The response from the public has been spontaneous, says physiotherapist Thilaga Govindasamy, who turned her Balestier Road clinic into a collection centre for relief items from the public. "Imagine, up to Africa, people are affected, but Singapore – so close to the epicenter--is spared. We can't bear to sit around doing nothing," said Miss Thilaga, 37, who sent out SMS messages for torches, tents, food, blankets and other relief supplies. (ST Dec 29)

People of various nationalities donated over 50 bundles in a single morning. All the items collected will go to the embassies of Sri Lanka and Indonesia tomorrow "because they are the worst hit." (ST Dec 29)

Packing $50,000 worth of food staples yesterday were staff of NTUC FairPrice, which has tied up with Mercy Relief to fly their first batch of relief supplies, including milk bottles and undergarments, to Sri Lanka within the next five days. (ST Dec 29)

Mr Chew Kah Chuan, managing director of Khong Guan Biscuit Factory, has donated 200 cartons of biscuits, and Life Brandz has sent 75,000 bottles of mineral water for Sri Lanka. Mr Robert Khoo, 65, has given sterile wash--all 40,000 pieces in stock at his pharmaceutical company Optopharm--to be distributed between Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Used to clean eyes and wounds, it is very useful in first aid. (ST Dec 29)

The quaint streets behind Tekka Mall spilled over with relief supplies yesterday as people from across Singapore dropped off hundreds of bags of clothes, blankets, canned food and medicine for tsunami victims. A solo effort by Frico Express, a Sri Lankan freight-forwarding company at Dalhousie Lane, to collect aid supplies for victims in their home country gathered momentum in just two days, as shop owners and staff from nearby shops, children and even tourists came forward to donate items. Many stayed on to help sort, pack and load the donations onto lorries. By noon yesterday, Dalhousie Land and Madras Street looked like a relief zone, with cartons of goods piled taller than the adult volunteers. Traffic crawled to a snail's pace as vehicles stopped to drop off donations, and the police turned up to help direct traffic. (ST Dec 29)

Amazed at the public's response were restaurant partners Nancy Leelavathi and Jeff Kumah who opened up their Madras Street restaurant Roots de Café as an alternative drop-off point for donations. "Volunteers have poured in non-stop since we opened at 9 am, and so have donations," said Ms Nancy, 36. (ST Dec 29)

Emergency supplies filled at least six containers, weighing over 5,000kg, flown by Sri Lankan Airlines to the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo yesterday. Although the relief aid was meant only for Sri Lanka, there were so many clothes donated that the surplus was shared with the Indonesian Embassy. (ST Dec 29)

After being featured on Channel NewsAsia, the Singaporean family collecting clothes and blankets for tsunami-stricken victims in Chennai has received an overwhelming response from the public. Shoba and Srinivas Vadrevu were swamped with phone calls and emails from Singaporeans from all walks of life wanting to help. They now have more than they can take by themselves and are trying to work with airlines to get them to waive excess baggage charges. Members of the public and friends are continuing to drop off contributions at the family's apartment in Bukit Batok. And some have even volunteered their time to help pack the items. (CNA Dec 31)

Companies, too, including shipping outfits and airlines, are contributing:

Apart from individuals, more companies have stepped forward to help. Some offered money. Others rallied staff to donate relief items. Apart from cash, local textile and apparel manufacturer Ghim Li Group, whose manufacturing plant and staff in Sri Lanka were spared, donated some 5,000 pieces of clothing for men, women and children there. Traditional Chinese medicine manufacturer Eu Yan Sang gave 2,000 cartons of 1.5-litre bottles of drinking water and 1,500 boxes of essence of chicken products to Mercy Relief for distribution to stricken areas. (ST Dec 29)

The airline industry is also doing its bit. Singapore Airlines Cargo is helping relief aid from as far as Europe and the United States to reach affected areas. Singapore Airlines flew the first shipment of emergency supplies totaling 19 tonnes from Singapore, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Red Cross here, to Thailand and Sri Lanka last night. Tiger Airways plans to offer free seats to Singapore-based aid agencies to transport emergency aid teams and medical equipment to Phuket. (ST Dec 29)

Let's not forget the religious organizations and other NGOs. Information tidbit: do you know that of the S$438 million donated by individuals between 2003 Apr and 2004 Apr, 52% went to churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship: that's some S$227.8 million out of the S$438 million total, in one year (ST Jan 14):

All the major religious groups in Singapore have joined in the outpouring of help following the tsunami disaster. Many have started organizing efforts to raise funds for the victims.
- Roman Catholic churches: The 30 Catholic churches in Singapore will make an appeal for donations at all masses this weekend.
- National Council of Churches, Singapore (NCCS): It is encouraging its churches to have an extra collection during services this weekend for the victims.
- Hindu Endowment Board: Collection boxes for devotees and the public to drop in cash or cheques will be set up at 24 temples island-wide and at shops and restaurants along Little India. A tent collecting cash and cheques will be set up in front of the Little India Arcade in Serangoon Road. Tomorrow, a garage sale will be held at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road (7am to 1pm and 5pm to 9pm).
- Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis): Cash collection during prayers at all mosques today. The public can also donate by bask or cheque at Muis' reception counter at the Islamic Centre of Singapore, 273, Braddell Road, during office hours. They can donate online at www.muis.gov.sg and by Nets and CashCard at the 254 AXS machines island-wide.
- Buddhist Fellowship: On Jan 7, a team of four to six volunteers headed by Firefly Mission will take supplies and medicine to Sri Lanka. Singapore Buddhist Federation: From now to Jan 9, donations will be collected at more than 100 Buddhist groups and temples. Taoist Federation (Singapore): Donations will be collected at nine places of worship during the Prayers for World Peace Ceremony 2005 tomorrow.
- Sri Lankaramaya Temple: From now to Sunday, money and items such as blankets, medical supplies and water-purification tablets will be collected. (ST Dec 31)

The Buddhist organisations have collected some $14,000 in donations. At Al-Muttaqin mosque, a special sermon during Friday prayers was delivered. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore urged all 68 of its mosques in Singapore to come forward and donate generously. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister in Charge of Muslim Affairs, said: "On the part of the Malay-Muslim community, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our other colleagues on this. I have asked Mendaki to initiate some efforts with the Malay-Muslim organisations and even mobile our volunteers where we can, to assist in whatever effort possible, be it packing of supplies and where possible if they are volunteers who are prepared to join some of the efforts overseas." Three SOKA Associations collected some 300,000 surgical masks and 100 cartons of biscuits. Donations in cash and clothings were also coming in and they were attended to by some 50 volunteers at each of the centres. Churches in Singapore are also joining in the nationwide effort to raise funds for the tsunami victims. Most churches will have collections at this weekend's services for the victims. City Harvest Community Services Association said it had raised over $50,000 so far. (CNA Dec 31)

Mercy Relief has raised about $300,000 in cash so far for the tsunami victims. This is in addition to the food aid which it will start sending to Sri Lanka from Friday. More than $18,000 was collected at one centre over an eight-hour period on Friday…Donations started trickling in as people came with cash, medicine and clothes, but things picked up…One woman not only came to donate cash, but also to sign up as a volunteer in Sri Lanka. Ms Julia Russel said: "We saw in the news this morning that they are looking for volunteers to go to Sri Lanka and help distribute aid, and I just want to come down and help because there are a number of us who are happy to go on a plane and help in whatever way we can." Lending support to raise funds is Singapore Idol Taufik Batisah. "What I'm doing here is the least of what other people are doing in other countries...make it a New Year resolution to not think about yourself but care about other people," he said. Mercy Relief will hold an islandwide collection on January 15, with a flag day with 500 volunteers from Singapore Polytechnic helping out. (CNA Dec 31)

* * * * *

What exactly is the meaning of all this? Does it mean that Singapore has finally come of age, that it has made a significant step closer to being a fully responsible member of the world community? I am not sure. Other, wiser heads will have to supply the answer.

Sounds a little like backtracking to me...

INDONESIA yesterday said foreign troops offering assistance to those hit by the recent deadly tsunamis would not be compelled to leave the country by the March 26 deadline it had earlier imposed. The statement by its Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono appeared aimed at easing concern over the government's plan to impose the deadline, which critics said would hamper relief efforts.

His statement came after a meeting with visiting United States Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who had travelled to Indonesia to see first-hand the devastation wrought by the Dec 26 killer waves. In a sign that relations between the two countries might be warming, Mr Juwono also expressed hope that military ties with the US, severed for years, would be restored.

Clarifying his government's stance on foreign involvement in relief work, Mr Juwono said: 'We would like to emphasise that March 26 is not a deadline for involvement of foreign military personnel in the relief effort. 'It is a benchmark for the Indonesian government to improve and accelerate its relief efforts, so that by March 26, a large part of the burden of the relief efforts will be carried by the Indonesian government and authorities on the ground. Foreign military assistance and operations providing relief and rehabilitation can continue albeit on a 'reduced scale', he said.

Read the whole thing here (ST Jan 17).

The Americans too, are beginning to sound a lot more conciliatory:

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jan. 13--The American ambassador here said Thursday that the United States was not troubled by the Indonesian government's demands that aid workers in Aceh Province register and that all foreign troops be gone by the end of March, describing the restrictions as "reasonable" and "unremarkable."

"It's their country," Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe said at a news conference at the fortified American Embassy, adding that "they have every right to decide" how long American troops are needed.

He said Indonesia's intention to have foreign troops leave and its own people take over the reconstruction after 90 days "sounds like a perfectly reasonable position to me."

Mr. Pascoe's comments came as administration officials contended that Indonesia was not imposing a strict time limit, but rather giving an estimate of how long foreign soldiers would be needed...

Read the whole thing here (NYT Jan 14)

Singapore civil engineers to help in rebuilding

Two weeks after disaster struck, relief efforts have moved on to the next phase. Now that the search and recovery phase is over for most of the tsunami-hit areas, the next phase of reconstruction will need various expertise to help in rebuilding efforts. This includes the rebuilding of houses, schools and roads which will need the expertise of civil engineers. And those from Project Orion--consisting of mostly civil engineering students at NUS (National University of Singapore)--are set to move in.

Read the whole article here (CNA Jan 17).

2nd SRC Medical Team Left for Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

From their latest Press Release (Jan 15)

The Singapore Red Cross' second medical relief team left for Trincomalee, Sri Lanka on Sunday, Jan 16 via SQ 402 at 10.30pm.

The 10-member medical relief team includes volunteers from the Singapore Red Cross and volunteer doctors and nurses from the two hospital clusters. The team is expected to return home on 27 January. The SRC medical relief team will continue to provide immediate outpatient care to the affected in their mobile clinic. This medical relief mission is being mounted in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Red Cross and the Rotary Club of Trincomalee.

This is the 2nd team that is sent by the Singapore Red Cross to work in the refugee camps in Trincomalee. The 1st team that left on 4 Jan 2005 will be returning on Monday, 17 January via SQ 401 at 7.25am.

This team comprise of 2 doctors, 4 nurses, 1 pharmarcist and 3 first aid and logistics volunteers. They will be joined by 3 other medical team members from Team 1, who had stayed behind to continue the medical relief work at the refugee camp.

Of Buffalos and Landing Ship Tanks

Interesting piece of news in today's Straits Times (David Boey, Jan 16):

ABOARD RSS PERSISTENCE, OFF MEULABOH--SINGAPORE is looking for livestock like buffalos or cows to present to Meulaboh residents for Friday's Hari Raya Haji ceremonies. The Singapore Armed Forces Humanitarian Assistance Support Group told The Sunday Times they hope to bring in the animals from areas outside Meulaboh so that residents in the tsunami-devastated coastal town in west Sumatra can perform the sacrificial ceremony, called korban, on Friday. Muslims traditionally distribute the meat to the poor or among themselves to forge community bonding after the ceremony.

Neat...

Meanwhile, RSS Endeavour is expected to anchor off Meulaboh this afternoon, bringing to three the number of Republic of Singapore Navy men-of-war sent for earthquake and tsunami relief work. Its arrival marks the first time three of the Navy's 141m Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) have been sent to one port for an overseas operation.

The Navy's only other such warship is used by its 191 Squadron, RSS Resolution, to patrol the Northern Arabian Gulf as part of Singapore's contribution to coalition efforts to rebuild Iraq.

The LSTs are expected to head home later this week after relief efforts spearheaded by the Indonesian Armed Forces and the SAF are handed over to humanitarian bodies led by the United Nations, said the SAF Humanitarian Assistance Support Group yesterday.

So all four of our LSTs are out there. This is the largest overseas deployment in the history of the RSN ever. (Puzzle: doesn't the 191 Sqn consist of all four of the LSTs?)

Singapore Tsunami Relief Effort Index (Jan 8-15)

As a grand overview to the first week of postings (Jan 8 to 15) and for the convenience of new readers, I’ve constructed this index. The items are sorted in order of appearance within each category. (UPDATE: I'll no longer be maintaining the index for posts made Jan 16 and later, it's taking too much work.)

ST = Straits Times; CNA = Channel News Asia; AWSJ = Asia Wall Street Journal; UPI = United Press International; AP = Associated Press; AFP = Agence France-Presse

Thoughts and Commentaries
- In memory, In Tribute on the memorial service in Singapore (collated from ST articles Jan 9)
- A view on Singapore's efforts by littlespeck.com's Seah Chiang Nee (social commentary by Seah Chiang Nee, Sunday Sun Jan 9)
- Singapore between realism and idealism (Op-ed by Simon Tay, ST Jan 13)
- Three ST op-eds (ST Jan 15 articles)
- Random thoughts on Singapore and tsunami relief (on Minister Tharman's speech, CNA Jan 15)

Tsunami Relief--Singapore and general regional
- Summary Map of Singapore Forces Deployment (current as of Jan 4)
- Sacrifice (on a young volunteer, ST Jan 9)
- Big Cat, Indian Tribe, and other Flying Contraptions (on the various RSAF aircraft and helicopters involved in the relief effort; overview of their activity collated from MINDEF press releases)
- The Extra Mile (another young volunteer, ST Jan 10)
- The Machines that Make it Possible (on the various RSN naval vessals, SAF land vehicles and other heavy equipment involved in the relief effort; collated from MINDEF sources)
- Water, Water everywhere... (Singapore helps with water treatment in disaster areas, from ST 11)
- The Ill-fated Land Rover Relief Mission (rescued from ST archives)
- Update on Singapore Relief Deployment (incl. CNA Jan 11)
- Eva Mazrieva carries her head high (on the MediaCorp Radio Singapore International reporter from Aceh who lost 42 family members in the disaster, CNA Jan 11)
- The Singapore Red Cross Society (UPDATED) (overview of the SRC's efforts Dec 27 to Jan 8, collated from their website)
- Singapore Red Cross collected S$31 Million so far! (SRC website)
- Singapore Red Cross: Tidal Wave Fund (Jan 14) (SRC website)
- SIF: Tsunami-Affected Communities Fund (SIF website)
- Tsunami and Terror (from The Sun Jan 6 and ST Jan 13)
- Singapore to help with Tsunami warning system (ST Jan 14)
- SAF relief deployment to Indonesia and Thailand (from MINDEF sources)
- SRC, Mercy Relief, Local Artistes (SRC website, CNA Jan 15 articles)
- Summary Map of Singapore Forces Deployment II (current as of Jan 11)

They are not Singaporeans; they just happened to be there
- They are not Singaporeans; they just happened to be there (on two American tourists helping out at the YMCA, ST Jan 9)
- Renegadedeutschhilfsmittel (i.e., renegade German aid; originally ST Jan 7, via Expatica.com Jan 13)

Indonesia
- Meulaboh, Indonesia (overview of the SAF's efforts Jan 2 to Jan 9; collated from MINDEF press releases)
- Meulaboh now accessible (ST Jan 9)
- Ties that bind (on the ties between SAF and TNI and its impact in Meulaboh, incl. ST Jan 8)
- The Importance of Local Knowledge (AWSJ Jan 8; comprehensive review of Singapore's efforts in Meulaboh)
- The Marines have Arrived (on the USMC's arrival at Meulaboh, CNA Jan 10)
- The Washington Times Reports on Meulaboh (UPI Jan 10, another comprehensive review of the SAF in Meulaboh)
- The 195 Sqn vs. Bad Weather (on the RSN outfit that runs all the fast crafts at Meulaboh; CNA Jan 10)
- Land access from Medan to Meulaboh now open (UPDATED) (MINDEF press release Jan 11)
- SAF Field Hospital in Meulaboh (from CyberPioneer Jan 12)
- Mom, I'm calling from Meubolah (ST Jan 13, incl. list of needs still current)
- The SAF Medical Team in Banda Aceh (ST Jan 13, incl. overview Dec 29 to Jan 10 collated from MINDEF press releases)
- The politics of disaster relief: Indonesia (collated from CNA and ST articles Jan 11-12, and other web sources)
- Photos from Meulaboh (from MINDEF website and CNA Jan 13)
- The SAF to to begin phasing out activities in Aceh soon; rebuilding next (ST Jan 14)
- Interesting (non)development on the foreign troops in Aceh thing (Malaysian troops cleared to remain in Aceh, CNA Jan 14)
- Singapore Red Cross, and the RSS Endeavor (SRC press release)
- Jemaah Islamiah fears losing hearts and minds of Aceh's tsunami survivors (www.news.com.au Jan 12)
- Meulaboh Update Jan 14 (from CNA Jan 14 articles)
- Remaing SAF projects in Meulaboh (from MINDEF sources)
- Indonesian general responds to criticism (ST Jan 15)

Thailand
- Operation Lionheart (overview of the SCSF's efforts Dec 29 to Jan 8; collated from the SCDF website)
- The SCDF in Thailand (Photos) (ST photos Jan 7)
- SCDF wraps up operations in Thailand and Aceh (from ST, CNA and the SCDF website Jan 12)
- Last SCDF personnel return from Thailand (CNA Jan 14)

Sri Lanka
- Singaporean Doctor in Sri Lanka (UPDATED) (incl. ST Jan 10)
- Sri Lanka Update (from ST articles Jan 12)
- Singapore Volunteer Groups in Sri Lanka (Touch Community and YMCA in Sri Lanka, from web sources)
- Long term need for Sri Lanka = jobs (ST Jan 13)
- SRC Medical Camp in Nilaveli Mosque. Trincomalee, Sri Lanka (from TamilNet Jan 12)

Environmental Impact
- Tsunami and the environment (link page covering the tsunami from the environmental and ecological angle)

On the press and blogosphere coverage of Singapore’s tsunami relief effort
- News Sources (Singapore sources of news)
- Non-local press coverage (UPDATED) of Singapore's efforts (incl. photos from AP)
- Singapore's efforts, in the mainstream blogosphere (UPDATED) (comments on a post on the Diplomad)

Concerning this blog and its author
- Introduction to this blog
- Call for help with this blog
- Because there is no reason that I alone should be idle when so many are toiling (explains my motivation for starting this blog)
- Topics yet to be covered (Updated Jan 13)

7 Days and 71 Posts Later...

Dear Reader: It's been a hectic weeks blogging on Singapore's relief effort and, as expected, I won't be able to keep it up at this pace any more (do the math: it's been averaging 10 posts a day). I'll still be updating, perhaps even every day, just less frequently than before. Thank you for dropping by!

Summary Map of Singapore Forces Deployment 2

Taken from http://www.gov.sg/c&e.htm; current as of 11 Jan 2005. Click on the map to link to a .pdf file. The numbers in Thailand should be decreased by now while a third landing ship is on its way to Indonesia.

SRC, Mercy Relief, Local Artistes

- From http://www.redcross.org.sg/: the amount collected to date as of 14th Jan, 2005: S$45,000,000 (about US$27,400,000 or US$6.4 per capita) excluding the S$1,000,000 donation made by the Singapore Government.

- Elsewhere (CNA Jan 15), some 3,000 youths volunteered to help in a street collection organised by Mercy Relief to raise funds for tsunami victims, the largest number ever for any of its donation drives. On a Saturday too. The volunteers, mostly secondary school and tertiary students, also included members of the Sikh Association, Soka Association and the New Creation Church. Mercy Relief has collected S$1.6 million so far, not including Saturday's collection.

- Also in the news (CNA Jan 15): MediaCorp and other local artistes lent their voices to raise money for tsunami victims by putting together a music album in just nine days in hope of raising some S$60,000 for tsunami victims. The albulm--3000 copies made--sells at S$20 per copy and all proceeds go to the Singapore Red Cross. From the same report:

Nadya Hutagulung also auctioned off personal belongings for a good cause. Star power also ran high at the Civil Defence Association for National Servicemen (CDANS), when Singapore Idol Taufik Batisah, who is a full time NSman, took part in the joint fundraising effort with the Singapore Police Association (SPANS), which raised S$100,000. On a quieter note, over S$18,000 was raised at an auction of quilts and teddy bears, which saw a "Children Of The World" piece sold at S$2,100.

I never thought that I'll be saying this to media celebrities, but I take my hat off to you...

The War Room in Medan (Photos)

From the very beginning, Medan in Sumatra functioned as a major HQ for the SAF's relief effort in Indonesia. Everyday, C-130s fly in supplies from Singapore while Chinooks and Super Pumas distribute them from here to places such as Meulaboh.

There are about 100 SAF personnel there, and it's a veritable war room, Singapore style--of course--complete with Powerpoint(TM) screens...


(From the MINDEF website)

(If you noticed the projected screens: looks like the Guards are running the show here.)

(UPDATE: From the latest CyberPioneer)

These Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers may be based in Medan, some 280 km away from the tsunami-hit town of Meulaboh, but their work is no less significant. Since early January, soldiers, including Army combat engineers, logisticians and signallers, as well as personnel from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), have been coming into Medan.

Today, a headquarters (HQ) comprising about 100 soldiers has been set up here, functioning as a nerve centre for the SAF's relief efforts in Indonesia. A helicopter detachment, currently with three Chinooks and the pilots and aircrew, also operates out of Medan.According to Chief Guards Officer and the SAF Contingent Commander, Brigadier-General (BG) Goh Kee Nguan, the HQ co-ordinates the work of the people in Meulaboh, Banda Aceh and Medan.

He said: "We want to make sure all the missions are integrated, to ensure that we bring the right supplies to the people who need them most. The HQ syncronises all such relief efforts.

In addition, we provide support to the missions in Meulaboh and Banda Aceh. Whatever our people need, they come to us and we make the requests back to Singapore. After they are processed, we can then push the requests back to the theatres of operation.

An advantage of establishing the HQ in Medan is its proximity to many important players who are providing aid to the disaster victims. They include the Governor of Northern Sumatra, the air operating centre, the United Nations (UN) and over 100 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and International Organisations (IOs).

BG Goh (left) explained: "We work with them, to understand who is doing what in Medan, and then try to connect their work with our operations in Meulaboh and Banda Aceh.

While BG Goh admits that the operation is complex and something the SAF has not dealt with before, he feels that the soldiers have risen to the challenge.

"We try our best to understand what the different agencies are doing and see what is the best role the SAF can play, to fit in with their work and the Indonesian authorities, to bring relevant assistance, to make sure our contribution here is meaningful," he added.

Although many of the soldiers in Medan are excited and enthusiastic about their work, some also have mixed emotions, wanting to operate in Meulaboh or Banda Aceh, where the more visible relief efforts are occurring.

Full-time National Serviceman, Corporal (CPL) Benjamin Ng Boon Peng (right), volunteered to follow his unit, HQ Guards, to Indonesia because he wanted to contribute to aid efforts in Meulaboh or Banda Aceh. However he has been in Medan for nine days handling manpower work, and is unlikely to go to the tsunami-hit regions.

While he admits that a part of him feels he is missing out on this experience, he feels that his work in Medan is no less important.

"We still do a lot of work here, many of which is for the soldiers?well-being. For example, we help co-ordinate the supplies for them, and send their postcards to their loved ones in Singapore," he said.

BG Goh is glad to see such positive attitude from his soldiers: "Each of us has a role to play, some out in the field, while others are based in the HQ.

"What’s important is that the soldiers know that what they do is meaningful, that they are contributing, helping our own soldiers as well as the victims of the disaster."

Random thoughts on Singapore and tsunami relief

What are the lessons that Singaporeans ought to draw from the disaster of Dec 26 and the subsequent help given by Singapore to our neighbors? In particular, what should the teachers tell the future generation?

Let's see what education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has to say on this (from CNA Jan 15):

...teachers can instil in [the students] the confidence from the fact that even as a small nation, Singapore was quick to extend help where it was most critically needed. The Republic also initiated the international summit that is leading to coordinated action to help the affected countries.

I guess it all depends on how the first sentence is accented. Look, obviously, the kids ought to know what we did--the sheer rapidity of the SAF and SCDF's response are themselves textbook examples of operational readiness. (In fact, an important part of the intention of this blog is precisely to do something about that.) But I really hope the point is not to make us feel good about ourselves.

I don't think we've done a lot more than what we should have done. Your neighbor's house is burning (your own is in no danger) and you happened to be there with the means to help--your cellphone, your garden hose--something would be amiss if you do not feel the urge to do something and to act upon that urge. You were there and there were things you could have effectively contributed.

The accent should be on the next sentence.

This will help students know that because Singapore was not hit by the tsunamis, Singaporeans feel the responsibility of wanting to help those who were.

This also mean that the example of the men and women of the SAF, the SCDF, the various NGOs and other volunteers is exactly that--an example--that the rest of us could emulate, follow or support. They are not trophies for our own self congratulation.

Just my thoughts.

SIF: Tsunami-Affected Communities Fund

From the Singapore International Foundation website:

In the aftermath of the tsunami disaster, the Singapore International Foundation is working on various fronts to respond to the needs of the communities affected by the massive destruction. SIF's focus is on the long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction process ahead, in helping communities build a life and future for themselves.

Towards this end, we have set up the Tsunami-Affected Communities Fund (TAC Fund) and our target is to raise a minimum of S$1.5 million. The funds collected will be channelled to re-building as well as disaster mitigation projects and used to provide sanitation, clean water housing, healthcare and community care. SIF plans to deploy over 80 teams of specialists, youth and grassroots volunteers with the requisite skills to work in the tsunami-affected areas.

The reconstruction phase is characterised by rising physical, medical, economic and social needs. We appeal to everyone to play a part in the re-building efforts, to help the affected communities pick up the pieces.

Click can make a donation on their website.

Three ST op-eds

All from Straits Times (Jan 15, 2005):

- HELP: Why S'pore reached out: Singapore launched its largest relief operation ever in response to the Dec 26 tsunami disaster. What drove this massive government effort? How does it fit in with how Singapore views its national interest? - By Lydia Lim, Senior Political Correspondent

- A quick and surprising response to tsunami - By Lydia Lim, Senior Political Correspondent

- A maturing nation amid tragedy - By Paul Jacob, Deputy Political Editor

All very interesting but I won't be able to say much about them now...see the next post. (UPDATE: maybe not the next post, but hopefully, in a post that will come soon)

Indonesian general responds to criticism

Continue from this previous post:

BANDA ACEH - INDONESIA can go it alone if foreign aid groups are not comfortable with how it carries out relief efforts in Aceh. That was the view of Major-General Bambang Darmono, the Indonesian general directing humanitarian operations in the tsunami-hit province.

Responding to criticisms by some private aid groups of curbs on their movements, he told The Straits Times: 'Bear in mind that we still have a sovereign and functioning government. No one has the right to dictate to us. If they don't want to help us, then we can do it ourselves.'

Read the whole thing here.

Singapore Red Cross: Tidal Wave Fund (Jan 14)

From http://www.redcross.org.sg/

Amount collected to date as of 14th Jan, 2005: S$39,000,000 (about US$23,750,000 or US$5.5 per capita) excluding the S$1,000,000 donation made by the Singapore Government.

SAF relief deployment to Indonesia and Thailand

Just worked through the transcripts of five recent interviews given by Minister Teo Chee Hean (all accessible from here); there's so much in them. As far as possible, I'll only cover details that go beyond what has already been mentioned in earlier posts. The material is completely taken from the interview transcripts. Text in italics are my own input.

From these transcripts, it can be readily seen how geography, the political and military ties with the affected countries and the very limited nature of our resources determined the direction and shape of Singapore's deployment. On the other hand, the high level of SAF's operational readiness enabled the sheer speed of the response. Other than this limited conclusion, I've left the information to speak for itself.

1. Background

As soon as reports of the earthquake and tsunami of 26 Dec came in, Singapore placed its military and civil defence forces on standby to render assistance. Singapore's assistance can be divided into three general groups:

(1) General assistance to all the countries that have been affected--mainly delivery of relief and medical supplies--to be carried out by both military and civil aviation;

(2) Assistance for Singaporeans and their families in the affected areas, handled largely by Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) personnel in the affected countries;

(3) Physical disaster assistance and relief on the ground. This is where the deployment of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel and assets come in. It is apparent from early on that the main theatres for direct disaster assistance of this nature are going to be Thailand and Indonesia: Singapore has limited capabilities and thus has to apply them in the places where they will have the most useful effect.

Indonesia is the country most severely affected by the earthquake and tsunami. It is geographically closest to Singapore, and a very close friend. It is also an area where the types of equipment and assets that we have, and the proximity and the rapidity with which we can respond, and our familiarity with the people there, makes it easiest for us to play a useful role.

Thailand is another very close friend of Singapore, and also a place which is close enough to Singapore where our forces can make a meaningful contribution on the ground. It's also a place where many Singaporeans have been and we are very grateful to the Thai authorities' assistance to Singapore and Singaporeans in helping to locate, to repatriate and look after our citizens there.

From the onset, geography and politics determined the direction and shape of Singapore's response: Singapore was able to deploy helicopters and ships from a location that is fairly close to the disaster area--and these are things that the Indonesians and Thais do need right now which are very difficult for other countries to provide.

2. SAF Operational readiness

When the first news of the earthquake and the tsunami broke out, the SAF and SCDF were put on alert to deploy the usual sort of disaster relief teams. That typically consists of SAF medical teams and SCDF DARTs (Disaster, Assistance and Rescue Team), typically 25 strong each; and the C-130s to bring them there.

But as the enormity of the disaster became known late on Sunday and on Monday (26-27 Dec), the SAF put more of its forces on standby. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) had its assets--C-130 and Fokker 50 transports, and helicopters--flying within 48 hours of being activated. By Wednesday Dec 29, 2 DART teams and 8 helicopters have already been dispatched to Indonesia and Thailand.

But the most significant deployment concerns the LSTs. The decision to send the LST was made on Tuesday 28 Dec. The SAF has been studying the charts and saw that the epicentre of the quake was on the West side of Sumatra where there are many coastal villages and islands--small isolated settlements--where assets capable of carrying out autonomous relief duties would be most useful. The Indonesian authorities concurred.

Having made the decision, the SAF basically prepared a ship from a cold start on Tuesday. With personnel working 24 hours a day, the LST Endurance was able to set off in 72 hours (on Dec 31), expecting to be in the disaster area in another 36 to 48 hours to start work. (arrived Jan 2). That's under 120 hours or five days--three to prepare and two at sea--from the decision to deploy to commencement of relief work off the coast of Meulaboh for the RSS Endurance.

3. Coordination and cooperation with the local authorities

What is stressed again and again throughout the transcripts is that any deployment of Singaporean forces is always in answer to specific requests from the Indonesian and Thai authorities.

Throughout the period, there have been continuous communication between the Singapore Government and the Indonesian and Thai civil and military authorities. It was soon learned from Indonesia, for example, that the airport facilities in the northern part of Sumatra, in Medan as well as Aceh were overstretched, because they were really not designed for such a major influx of people and material. Furthermore, the airport in Banda Aceh itself has suffered serious damage--the control tower is operating out of a tent.

While the TNI (Indonesian military) is working very hard to overcome the many difficulties there in Sumatra, many of its units and forces were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunamis. (As can be imagined, information of this nature paved the way for the deployment of the Mobile Air-traffic Control Tower to Banda Aceh airport.)

On Jan 3 the Indonesian Welfare Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah (who is in charge of the relief works in the western part of Sumatra) indicated to Singapore's Ambassador to Indonesia a very urgent need for heavy lift helicopters. (SAF personal in Sumatra made the same assessment.) Although there are other helicopters in the region, the fact is that one Chinook can do the work of 4 medium helicopter. A decision was thus made to send 4 more Chinooks helicopters (bringing the total in Sumatra to 6).

At the end of the day, an important factor that I think contributed critically to the SAF's relief efforts in Indonesia is the long working relationship it has enjoyed with TNI. As the CDF put it: "we are accustomed to working with the Indonesian authorities...Our people are familiar with their system and so far there is no obstacle with working with them." One example of how this paided off is that, for the LSTs operating offshore from Meulaboh, it is not the first time that Republic of Singapore navy (RSN) ships have been to that part of Indonesia. RSN ships, together with the TNI Navy conducted socio-civic type work together in many parts of Indonesia, including the Nias Island, which is about 100/150 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake.

(...Probably more to come by way of analysis...)

Remaining SAF projects in Meulaboh

From an interview with Minister Teo Chee Hean at the RSS Endeavor send off

With the situation in Aceh now stabilising, the Indonesian authorities and military are in the process of moving from the emergency relief phase into the reconstruction phase. The SAF is thus also moving into that phase. Consequently, it will soon wrap up the projects it is currently engaged in over the next week and hand over the work to the TNI, the Indonesian authorities, as well as to Singapore, Indonesian and other NGOs. Their role, however, is hardly ended just yet.

In line with the shift in mission, the SAF will:

- Set up a displaced persons centres to help the people there get their lives back together again (some 100 tons of materials--including 8 tons collected from the Indonesian community in Singapore by the Indonesian embassy--is being
brought to Meulaboh by RSS Endeavor)
- Ensure that the helicopter landing sites and sea landing sites previously prepared will continue to be of good use;
- Construct a building there for the Indonesian authorities where they can do their co-ordination of relief efforts and relief aid (as many of their headquarter buildings were destroyed);

Once these projects are completed, the specific capabilities that the SAF has brought will be less useful, particularly since the road to Meulaboh is now open. On the other hand, 3 RSAF Chinook helicopters will remain for another 2-3 weeks because there is still a need for heavy-lift helicopters. Their presence will be serving the critical requirements of the TNI and Indonesian authorities.

Postscript: In response to a question concerning the security situation in Aceh, Minister Teo also said that while our people have been in there from the very beginning, for about 3 weeks now, there have been critical risks (i.e., from the rebels).

Meulaboh Update Jan 14

(From CNA Jan 14)

With the streets now busy with increased traffic, while roadside markets are alive once again in some parts, the survivors are slowly getting back on their feet in Meulaboh. It was against this backdrop that the SAF is handing over its relief coordination responsibilities in Meulaboh to the Indonesian authorities and the United Nations. The SAF will now be more of a facilitator between the Indonesians and the UN:

Every morning at a Indonesian military or TNI camp, representatives from some 30 Non-Government Organisations (NGO) meet to discuss and coordinate their action plan for the day. This used to be chaired by the SAF, but now the UN is managing most of the meetings.


About 75 representatives from various NGOs and IOs as well as the Indonesian, Singaporean, American and Australian armed forces attend the daily CMAAC meetings (from the MINDEF website)

Among the NGOs is the Spanish Red Cross, which has been delivering up to 170,000 litres of water to about 4,000 homes using seven of its own trucks. They brought an emergency response machine that specialises in water and sanitation and five treatment plants that can produce 3,500 litres per hour of high quality water.

But work is not over for the SAF in Meulaboh. To relieve congestion at the TNI camp in in Posko where the NGOs are presently stationed, it is building a makeshift office. We also posted previously that a third LST is on its way:

(From CNA Jan 14)


Sending off the volunteers (from the MINDEF website)

The third LST, the RSS Endeavor is heading toward Meulaboh with some 60 volunteers--55 Singaporeans and five foreigners the Singapore Red Cross, YMCA of Singapore, Touch Community Services International and Mercy Relief.

The LST also carries 200 pallets of supplies including food to feed 500 families for a week, water, tents for 10,000 people, school kits for the children, and generators to Meulaboh. The Singapore Red Cross also hopes to build a barge pier and train the Indonesians in nursing aid.

Indicating a shift in the nature of the assistance, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean made the following statement at the send-off ceremony for RSS Endeavour on Friday:

When we have finished some of these projects that we are doing there with the TNI, the specific capabilities that SAF has brought will be less useful particularly since the road to Meulaboh is now open. We will continue to leave three of our Chinook helicopters there because there is still a need for heavy helicopters and this will be serving the critical requirement of the TNI and Indonesian authorities.

Last SCDF personnel return from Thailand

From CNA Jan 14:

The last 12 members of the Singapore Civil Defence Force who were helping in search and rescue operations in Khao Lak, Thailand will arrives Friday evening. Search operations in Indonesia have also ended and SCDF's 27-man contingent left the country on Wednesday. Humanitarian efforts, however, are ongoing, with two SCDF paramedics still attached to an SAF unit at Aceh's Meulaboh and another officer attached to UNDAC.

Jemaah Islamiah fears losing hearts and minds of Aceh's tsunami survivors

Interesting news item from www.news.com.au linked on this Australian blog by Tim Blair:

The spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiah says he is losing the battle for the hearts and minds of Aceh's tsunami survivors because of the humanitarian assistance from Australian and US military forces.

A spokesman for Abu Bakar Bashir said the Indonesian cleric, who is on trial for terrorism, regarded the relief operations by Australian and US military personnel as a dangerous development, overshadowing the role of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI).

"We are suspicious of the presence of foreign soldiers and their show of force and the minimum publicity given to assistance from Arab states," said Fauzan Al Anshari, a spokesman for Bashir's militant Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia group.

"It's dangerous, this idea by Acehnese that US and Australian forces are their guardian angels - more popular than the TNI."

Read the whole article:

Western aid winning hearts
By Mark Dodd
(Jan 12, 2005)

(See also this and this previous post)