Lest we forget : Survival, alertness of the future disasters

Lest we forget : Survival, alertness of the future disasters Putu Geniki L Natih  ;   A Jardine-Oxford doctoral scholar at Oxford University in the UK whose current research is related to the December 2004 disaster in Aceh

JAKARTA POST,  23 Desember 2014

                                                                                                                       

A folktale from Aceh begins: “Once upon a time there was a fisherman called Beungong Peukeun. He lived just with his sister, Beungong Meulu, for their parents had died when they were children.” This is ironically the tragic reallife story of so many families in Aceh as parents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters were swept away by the monstrous wave that surged over the coastline on Dec. 26, 2004. Ten years on, we still mourn their loss and remember all too clearly the news flashes that depicted the horror of the tsunami. My parents and I were in Bali for a family ceremony and woke that Boxing Day morning to find reports from around the world; anxious relatives in Jakarta also kept phoning to make sure that we were safe in Bali. An uneasy silence seemed to descend as the extent of the human loss became frighteningly clear. At least 13 countries around the Indian Ocean had been affected, the worst being Indonesia, which was hit by the tsunami first. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives and some 2 million were made homeless. Nature in her cruelest guise had donned monstrous proportions far beyond any folktale or legend, in moments obliterating human life and habitations, reducing all to flotsam and jetsam. What had happened? The first English use of the word tsunami happened more than 100 years ago. National Geographic magazine in September 1896 reported: “On the evening of June 15, 1896, the northeast coast of the main island of Japan, was struck by a great earthquake wave.“ The report said the Japanese term for this wave was “tsunami”. The term fuses two Japanese words, tsu, meaning harbor and nami, the word for wave. Most tsunamis indeed have occurred in the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Japan. The term is disturbingly onomatopoeic, suggesting the deadly calm of the harbor-like trough that precedes the wave with its onslaught of roaring, rushing water. The tale of Beungong Peukeun and Beungong Meulu is a story of loss, conflict, hunger, enchantment, compassion and restitution. There is little enchantment in the real-life stories of Aceh’s fishermen and their families after the tsunami, but there is much to do with poignant loss, hunger, the need for compassion and restitution in the light of all that they have been through in the last 10 years. Progress has been a long, hard struggle. The loss of human life was in itself appalling; for those who survived, every aspect of their lives were disrupted and what used to be was no more. Traditional practices from boat building to forms of community problem-solving, musyawarah mufakat, while being maintained, made way for new solutions, with input from NGOs, local and overseas and from the government of Indonesia. The resilience and versatility of Aceh’s people in overcoming this tragedy is commendable and the spirit of gotong royong, working together for a common good, with fellow Indonesians and friends from overseas, gives us much to think about. The grieving continues but with it comes the hope that although not in the same way, all may thrive and prosper once more. Our creed of Pancasila speaks of understanding between the different communities of this vast island nation. Maritime initiatives are vital as are regional discussions to solve the maritime challenges that face nations in this region. Quickly responding to the need for an early warning system after the 2004 tsunami catastrophe, in 2005, Indian Ocean nations, with the support of UNESCO, established the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System. On Oct. 12 2011, 23 of those nations, including Indonesia, took part in a simulated tsunami alert, to see how well all would respond in a similar disaster. Regular simulation activities have been conducted since then, with the most recent in September 2014, the preliminary results of which showed that all participating countries received simulated warning messages promptly and effectively. A sense of responsibility, cooperation and respect for all forms of life are at the heart of such initiatives and it is to be hoped that all efforts will continue to be made, to share regional skills, knowledge and experience. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those around the world who lost loved ones on that tragic day. May the spirit of peaceful cooperation among nations bring strength and courage to all those who were in despair. In the words of TS Eliot, “Fare forward, voyagers.” ●