Quinkana

Bitterness towards the central government among Acehnese is born not merely from the violence of the ongoing conflict but also from the rampant corruption that has impoverished the people.

During the year-long military emergency, the central government allocated an additional Rp4.06 trillion ($447.7 million) to military operations in Aceh – roughly three times larger than the annual provincial budget.

Of the total diverted to the war effort, some Rp2.7 trillion ($209 million) was apparently embezzled and is currently the subject of investigations at the national Corruption Eradication Commission.

Government Denies Foreign Access to Aceh


Despite the admission that the emergency was no longer effective, Kalla indicated that outsiders’ access to the province would continue to be regulated.

Only volunteers would receive visas on arrival into Indonesia, Kalla said on Wednesday, but “only for doctors and medical officers, technicians, operators and social workers.�

No persons with “political� reasons for visiting Aceh would be allowed in although humanitarian aid was welcome, he added.

Military Offensive Policy in Aceh Abandoned


Tsunami news for Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Quinkana

We heard a disturbing noise like the rumbling of the engine of a big ship and it went on for a while. It was towards the end of the dive so we were about 5m to 10m underwater and we looked at each other because it was unusual to hear big ships around here and then I realised that this might be an underwater earthquake.

The current was also a little bit stronger than usual but what was really unusual this time was that the fish, even the big ones, were hiding inside the corals, while the moray eels which usually hide were all rushing out from their holes.

There were aftershocks the whole of Sunday night and we could tell when the next one was going to happen as the dogs would start barking just before the aftershock. It felt like tiny volcano eruptions but one of the Japanese dive instructors said that these tremors and even the big one that had caused the tsunami was by Japanese standards not really that bad.

Diver saw tsunami forming underwater

Quinkana

The sun shone and birds sang in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh moments before a giant earthquake struck. Ten minutes later, a one-storey high torrent of seawater carried away pulverised homes.

Ten minutes warning

Quinkana

The sort of crap that over years lead to conflict in Aceh:

Soldiers 'took bribes' to evacuate victims

Good on the Kiwis. I hope the Aussie authorities take a similar stand to sticky hands when spending the $A 1 G on relief aid.