Our heart goes out to the people of Indonesia as they struggle
to cope with the devastating consequences of their latest
earthquake.
Following the disastrous 2004 tsunami, the people of Indonesia
have again been subjected to a severe natural disaster. The
earthquake has killed more than 4,600 people on Indonesia's densely
populated island of Java, reducing almost all buildings to rubble.
And the death toll is likely to climb much further.
We extend our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the
victims' families.
The Chinese Government announced on Saturday it would offer
Indonesia spot exchange emergency aid worth US$2 million. China's
assistance will multiply when the need arises.
On the same day, President Hu Jintao sent a letter to Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in which he expressed his dismay at the
cruel loss of so many lives.
We have shown our solidarity with the Indonesian people.
Susilo ordered the army to evacuate victims and arrived with a
team of Cabinet ministers to oversee rescue operations. He slept in
a tent camp with survivors.
The need of the moment is to gather international support to aid
the suffering people of Indonesia. The world must respond promptly
and vigorously.
The need for assistance will grow every day. The particular
point about the latest earthquake in Indonesia is that virtually
all buildings and structures have been flattened. Current estimates
about the extent of the disaster may prove to be wrong as new facts
reveal the true scale of the tragedy.
The situation will worsen in the blazing heat. And rescue
efforts will be further hampered by the destruction of roads and
bridges.
The search for survivors requires very sophisticated tools and
skills. Other recent earthquakes have shown that people can survive
under the rubble for days. Hundreds, if not thousands, of lives can
be saved if rescue work can be conducted in a timely fashion.
We are happy to note that the international community has been
responding to the devastation in Java with an overwhelming
outpouring of aid.
The United States responded with an emergency allocation of
US$500,000 for assistance to victims.
Indonesia's neighbor Malaysia said it will send a 56-member
search team, doctors and medical supplies, and the European
Commission said it would release up to US$3.8 million in emergency
aid.
The World Food Program is sending a plane containing 2 tons of
medicine and eight trucks full of fortified noodles and
biscuits.
The fact that rescuers and aid workers, water, food, blankets,
tents, medical supplies and other essentials are pouring into the
broken city from around the globe is an impressive testament to the
nature of the global village: Love and assistance reach the needy
whenever disaster strikes.
(China Daily May 29, 2006)
