Anger Grows as Citizens Hoist White Flags Amid Inadequate Flood Assistance
Over recent weeks, angry and distressed locals in the province of Aceh have been raising pale banners due to the state's delayed response to a succession of fatal floods.
Triggered by a uncommon weather system in the month of November, the flooding claimed the lives of over 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands across the region of Sumatra. In Aceh province, the most severely affected province which accounted for almost half of the fatalities, many still are without ready availability to safe drinking water, supplies, power and medical supplies.
A Leader's Public Outburst
In a demonstration of just how frustrating managing the crisis has become, the leader of North Aceh wept in public in early December.
"Can the authorities in Jakarta ignore [our suffering]? It's incomprehensible," a tearful the governor declared on camera.
However President the President has declined international help, insisting the circumstances is "manageable." "Our country is capable of managing this disaster," he told his government in a recent meeting. He has also to date overlooked calls to declare it a national disaster, which would free up special funds and facilitate aid distribution.
Mounting Scrutiny of the Leadership
The leadership has been increasingly criticised as unprepared, inefficient and out of touch – descriptions that some analysts argue have become synonymous with his time in office, which he secured in last February on the back of populist commitments.
Even this year, his signature multi-billion dollar school nutrition scheme has been embroiled in controversy over widespread foodborne illnesses. In August and September, a great number of citizens protested over joblessness and soaring living expenses, in what were some of the biggest protests the country has witnessed in decades.
Presently, his government's response to the deluge has emerged as another test for the leader, although his approval ratings have held steady at around 78%.
Urgent Calls for Help
On a recent Thursday, scores of demonstrators rallied in Banda Aceh, Banda Aceh, holding white flags and insisting that the government in Jakarta opens the way to foreign help.
Among in the protesters was a small girl carrying a piece of paper, which said: "I am just a toddler, I want to mature in a secure and stable world."
Although usually viewed as a symbol for surrender, the white flags that have appeared throughout the province – on damaged roofs, along washed-away banks and outside mosques – are a plea for international solidarity, demonstrators contend.
"The flags do not mean we are giving in. They serve as a cry for help to attract the attention of allies outside, to inform them the situation in here now are extremely dire," stated one participant.
Whole villages have been eradicated, while broad destruction to infrastructure and facilities has also cut off a lot of people. Survivors have described disease and hunger.
"How much longer should we cleanse in dirt and contaminated water," cried one protester.
Provincial authorities have appealed to the international body for support, with the local official announcing he welcomes support "without conditions".
The government has stated recovery work are in progress on a "large scale", noting that it has released some billions ($3.6bn) for rebuilding efforts.
Disaster Strikes Again
For some in the province, the circumstances recalls traumatic recollections of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, among the deadliest calamities on record.
A magnitude 9.1 undersea earthquake unleashed a tsunami that triggered walls of water up to 30m in height which struck the ocean shoreline that day, taking an believed two hundred thirty thousand people in over a dozen nations.
The province, already devastated by years of civil war, was one of the most severely affected. Survivors explain they had only recently completed reconstructing their homes when tragedy struck again in last November.
Aid came more quickly after the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster, despite the fact that it was considerably more catastrophic, they say.
Many nations, global bodies like the International Monetary Fund, and NGOs donated billions of dollars into the recovery effort. The national authorities then established a specific agency to manage money and reconstruction work.
"All parties acted and the community rebuilt {quickly|
