Frustration Grows as Citizens Hoist Pale Banners Due to Delayed Disaster Assistance

For weeks, desperate and upset residents in the province of Aceh have been hoisting flags of surrender due to the government's slow response to a series of lethal floods.

Precipitated by a unusual cyclone in November, the catastrophe claimed the lives of over 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands across the island of Sumatra. In Aceh, the most severely affected area which represented almost 50% of the casualties, numerous people still lack ready access to safe drinking water, nourishment, power and healthcare resources.

An Official's Public Breakdown

In a sign of just how difficult handling the disaster has grown to be, the governor of North Aceh broke down openly recently.

"Does the central government ignore [what we're experiencing]? It baffles me," a emotional the governor stated publicly.

However President Prabowo Subianto has declined foreign aid, asserting the situation is "being handled." "Our country is able of managing this disaster," he told his cabinet recently. He has also so far overlooked demands to classify it a national emergency, which would free up disaster relief money and streamline recovery operations.

Mounting Scrutiny of the Administration

The leadership has been increasingly scrutinised as unprepared, chaotic and out of touch – terms that experts argue have come to define his presidency, which he secured in last February based on people-focused pledges.

Even recently, his major expensive free school meals programme has been plagued by scandal over mass contamination incidents. In the latter part of the year, a great number of citizens demonstrated over unemployment and increasing living expenses, in what were some of the largest protests the country has seen in a generation.

And now, his government's reaction to the floods has become another test for the official, despite the fact that his poll numbers have held steady at about 78%.

Desperate Pleas for Help

Last Thursday, scores of activists rallied in Banda Aceh, Banda Aceh, waving white flags and calling for that the government in Jakarta opens the path to international assistance.

Standing among the protesters was a little girl holding a sheet of paper, which read: "I'm only very young, I wish to live in a safe and stable place."

Although usually seen as a symbol for surrender, the white flags that have appeared across the region – on collapsed roofs, next to washed-away riverbanks and outside mosques – are a signal for international solidarity, protesters say.

"These banners are not a sign of we are surrendering. They represent a cry for help to capture the focus of the world internationally, to inform them the situation in here today are very bad," explained one participant.

Complete communities have been eradicated, while broad damage to transport links and infrastructure has also cut off a lot of communities. Those affected have described illness and malnutrition.

"How much longer should we bathe in dirt and floodwaters," cried another protester.

Regional leaders have appealed to the international body for help, with the Aceh governor declaring he is open to support "without conditions".

The government has stated relief efforts are under way on a "large scale", stating that it has disbursed approximately billions (billions of dollars) for recovery efforts.

Tragedy Returns

For many in Aceh, the circumstances brings back traumatic memories of the 2004 Indian Ocean devastating tidal wave, one of the deadliest calamities on record.

A powerful ocean seismic event unleashed a tidal wave that produced walls of water up to 30m in height which struck the Indian Ocean shoreline that morning, taking an believed 230,000 individuals in in excess of a dozen nations.

The province, previously affected by years of strife, was among the hardest-hit. Survivors explain they had barely completed rebuilding their homes when disaster hit once more in November.

Assistance came more quickly following the 2004 tsunami, although it was considerably more devastating, they argue.

Many countries, multilateral agencies like the International Monetary Fund, and charities donated significant resources into the relief operation. The Indonesian government then created a special body to coordinate finances and assistance programs.

"The international community took action and the people recovered {quickly|